the Trial Games
by DailyChocolateMilk
Summary: Before the 1st Hunger Games, the Gamemakers held a Trial to perfect their creation. Amongst classmates stolen from District 13- sixteen year old Maya has no hope of winning, particularly when her friends grow psychotic, and she begins to lose her mind...
1. Awaken to it All

**The Trial Games.**

"This is perfect... it's a _complete_ work of art- we will hold these 'Hunger Games' annually, beginning with next year"

The folder's contents were spread across the desk, documents and photographs fanned out on its surface. A picture of a large golden horn titled "Cornucopia", floor plans with directions to _hidden _"treasures", and a series of photographs; school pictures of twenty four children- twelve boys, twelve girls.

"Thank you sir, but the other Gamemakers and I would like to request a private trial, just to see if everything in the games works as it should"

"Ah... would this have anything to do with the pictured children here?"

"Yes sir"

"...very well. Tomorrow, when the Capitol takes care of District 13- we will preserve twenty-four tributes for the... _private_ Hunger Games trial demonstration"

"Thank you, Mister President Sir"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I yawn as I awake upon the old sheet-less mattress. The early morning sun has begun to fill our empty home with warmth, revealing the elusive dust particles dancing lightly through the air. I smile slightly as I lazily stretch my limbs until the joints audibly crack.

It was time for school, our first day back since the Revolution against the Capitol was apparently over and done with. Though most of District 13 was in a slump due to our terrific loss, people had finally begun working again- and with the nuclear reactants up and running once more, the school had declared that all students were to return to their studies after our almost year long break.

"Maya, you'll be late if you dawdle!" my Mother calls from her rocking chair outside. "-don't you want to see your friends?"

"I'll get there in time!" I call back. I was already pulling on my sturdiest pair of boots. "Where's Dad, has he already left?"

"He went to the butchers! He'll probably be back by the time you get to school."

_That seems about right_, I think to myself as I pull my jumper on over the shirt I slept in. Dad always buys meat when times are at their worst, never when things are going well. I suppose he wants to cheer us up since the Capitol was probably going to raise taxes soon because of the rebellion.

"I'll see you when I get home Mom" I kiss her on the forehead after I close the front door. "You be safe. I love you."

"I will Maya."

I always say that when I leave the house, not because I believe she's in any real danger; just because I never want my last words to be something mundane like 'see you later.' That's why every morning before I leave, I make sure to leave with those words- so my Mother is left with those warm, comforting words until I see her again.

The air is surprisingly crisp this morning. This is what I notice as I walk down the old dirt road that runs through town. Every here and there I notice adults opening their stores, some optimistic- others with expressions of dread. The end of the revolution had sparked ideas that we would soon face our comeuppance for rebelling against the Capitol, that they'd punish us beyond our worst nightmares.

I didn't believe that. We were too important for them to challenge. After all, if they fought here – their supply of nuclear power and graphite would be in danger of being annihilated. They wouldn't make that risk after all they had done to preserve it.  
So instead of worrying as the rest of the District was I smile in an absent minded manner as I walk. Today I'd be able to see my friends again, all of us being too busy during our "break" to catch up. There was one in particular that I was particularly anxious, craving perhaps, to see.

Behind me, the sound of familiar footsteps crunch down the road towards me. I turn and, with a warm smile- greet the startled seventeen year old boy, who was attempting to sneak up and surprise me.

"Morning" he says, embarrassed that he was caught so easily. "Sharp as ever Maya"

"What, after four years of being jumped by you on the way to school?" I laugh. "Of course my hearing is going to get better"

Crux laughs loudly. I smile as I notice his ears have gone red with embarrassment.

It's been ages since I last saw him. His dirty blonde hair was darker, longer than before- matching the patches of stubble growing over his face. His eyes were still the same brown they had always been though. Crux and I were friends, but I could admit that he was a bit of a bully and a brute to others. He had this tendency to threaten people when he was losing in an argument, and that side of him frightened me.  
It was a rare split personality however, and right now- all I could feel is how glad I was to see him alive, well fed and happy.

"-have you seen anyone lately?" I ask as he walks beside me. "I haven't seen much of anyone at all"

"No, not much" Crux's good mood seems to have diminished since I caught him in his sneak attack. "Everyone is still a little worried that their fathers aren't coming home"

"Oh..." I don't want to talk about this. "Guess everyone'll be skipping today then, huh?"

I laugh, nervously. Crux smiles, but he looks even more melancholy while he does so. We walk the remainder of the way in silence, my eyes on the road in front of my feet- unable to make eye contact while I feel so awkward. I should know better than to allow such a conversation topic like that to arise.

Crux's father was dead.

He had died near the beginning of the "Dark Days" as they had come to be called, and no one knew how or by whom. He had left for the Capitol with his friends, but had stumbled back into the edge of town with a knife in his gut late the next day. Crux, hunting early that morning, was the only one to see him die, and had sat there, his father draped over his legs- sitting in a mixture of shock and fear until he was found by the horrified townspeople- who pulled the corpse from his legs and took him home.

That was around the time his frightening personality kicked in. Violent and furious- Crux would lash out at people, but would quieten at the thought of his father. Even to this day, everyone at school knew that it was better to enrage Crux than to let him fall silent. No one knew what went through his mind during those times of silence.

"-hey, Crux! Maya!"

My heart swells as I instantly recognise the voice, lifting itself from the darkness it was just enveloped in. I whirl about excitedly, arms out wide like a plane as my eyes find the boy who just lifted the gloom over Crux and me.

"Holden!"

Holden laughs as I throw my arms around him, squeezing him tightly to make sure he was real. Crux chortles slightly, still a little moody from before- but pats his friend on the shoulder to recognise the reunion. I smile, looking up from where my head was pressed to bask in Holden's warm smile once more.

"How have you been?" Holden gives my shoulders a playful shake. "You seem happy".

"Unusually happy" Crux adds with a smirk, cocking an eyebrow as I flush red.

"N-none of your business," I wrinkle my nose, as I do when I'm embarrassed. "I just haven't seen you in a long time, you know-"

If that were true, I would've hugged Crux just as tightly a few moments ago- but I didn't. I knew why I was so eager to see Holden, why my heart leapt at the sound of his voice.

It didn't take a genius to realise I had feelings for him, and of course I was aware of it- pleased with it in fact. It was a love that had a chance in District 13, even if Holden was a year younger than I was, with him being fifteen and I being sixteen. My mother and father were friends with his parents, and they had even told us of their "ideal" plans of us two being married one day. Though we both protested in disgust, I was secretly disappointed. I wouldn't have minded at all.

To his credit, Holden never let on that he knew my feelings- instead allowing myself to wallow in my shyness. He knew, at least- I was fairly sure he knew. Everyone else did in any circumstance.

We resumed walking, chatting casually about anything that broke the silence in our minds. I giggled, Holden laughed and Crux smirked as our familiar trio arrived at the shabby concrete slabs we called a school.

"Reckon enough people will show up?" Holden asks; his hands dug deep into his pockets.

"Probably not," Crux is no longer moody, now bored. "I'm not in the mood to see some of them anyway"

"You really need to be more friendly Crux" I tease. I nudge him sharply in the ribs. "You'll never win a wife with your terrible attitude"

I had expected Crux's chagrin to show up on his face, but not as intensely as it did. With a brief, hate-filled glare- he briskly walks away and disappears inside the complex, shutting the door with a loud snap. Holden and I exchange glances before following suit.  
Though I know I should feel bad for upsetting a friend, I couldn't help but admire my luck. I rarely got the chance to be alone with Holden, and I was thankful for any chance I received.

"-something I said?" I ask, trying not to come off as a completely terrible friend.

"Who knows" Holden shrugs, but he's smiling. "I think it's because of how he was bullying Cisqua before the break started. I figured he had a thing for her and was dealing with it the wrong way"

I laugh, but I'm confused inside. Cisqua? The bossy, self-pronounced student president? Though I couldn't see it immediately, I guess it made sense. Only a girl like that could stay on the same wavelength as Crux.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded from outside, similar to the one the Mayor's car gave when it backfired. I clutch Holden's arm in surprise, then smile sheepishly as he laughs at me.

Today was shaping up to be a very lucky day for me, being allowed time alone with Holden, to talk, to touch. I almost felt as if kissing him here and now would be almost acceptable. But I don't kiss him; instead I smile warmly at him without letting go.

"-I really missed you Holden," I start. Holden's eyes are locked on mine. "Really"

As he opens his mouth to respond, another backfire is heard, then another- and soon four more. Soon the air is filled with the sound of rapid gunfire as the ground begins to shake beneath our feet. Clutching Holden's arm with both hands now, I stare wildly around as screams echo through our school's halls. _What's happening?_

"What's going on?!"

"The nuclear reactor's going to blow!"

"We're under attack!"

People are screaming outside, and my eyes can see through the murky windows people running from their homes. There's fire, smoke... gas. The air is thick with large, noxious clouds of gas- vibrant purple in color as it spills out of homes into the street where the inhabitants try to flee, digging their nails into their throats as they scream for help.

The corridor is filling with students from all years. I can hear girls screaming and boys shouting. A hand grabs my shoulder and I look up to see Crux clenching his teeth. The shaking is growing intense as the terrible visions from outside grow increasingly more gruesome as the purple smoke seems to be nearing our building.

-the doors slam open, and before I can even glimpse what threw them open- I feel my hands be pulled away from Holden's arm, tearing his jacket as I scream in fright. Crux is shouting my name, Holden's name and my name again as the school begins to fill with a different coloured gas entirely. The gas is brown, like a terrible dust storm.

My senses begin to fade as I squirm in my captor's grasp. They're moving so fast, we're moving so fast- I can see student's horrified faces whirl past me in a sick surge of color. I clench my eyes tight, trying to make it go away- but instead feel my body give in to the strange intoxication of the dust storm.

The screams disappear, soothed into a strange, vaguely recognisable lullaby as my mind drifts into sleep and I think and feel no more.


	2. Television Killed Reality

**The Trial Games.**

A strange, pungent smell wafts through my nose and I slowly wake. I recognise that my left upper arm stings and I can feel something tightly constrict my wrists to a sturdy surface before I even properly open my eyes. Wearily, I allow my eyes to lift open to the almost pitch black room, lit only by a small static filled screen that sputters and spits as fear and panic begins to flood my sleepy body.

'_Where am I, what happened, where is this?' _

I scream these questions into the dank my mind, eyes wide open as I turn my neck every which way- seeing nothing but shadows while my hands twitch in pain from being buckled down so tightly.

"Hello?!" I cry into the darkness. "Help! Help me!"

The screen, almost if responding- blinds me with its sudden burst of white light. I recoil into my bindings, squinting as a familiar but notorious face has made its place in place of the static. Smiling kindly as he folds his hand upon his desk, the President of Panem stares directly towards me, with a brief nod.

My mouth sags open from the shock, and I am unable to piece together what was happening. If it weren't for the almost blinding unknown pain in my arm, I would think it was a dream. Strapped to a chair in the dark, facing a screen where the President smiled...  
_Wasn't I supposed to be in school? _What had happened for me to be... wherever 'here' was?

"Welcome, children of the thirteenth district" the President spoke, his voice as crisp as any broadcast he had made. "As most of you are aware, the revolt against the Capitol has ended in favour of the Capitol... resulting in your, and the remaining twelve districts _loss_"

I sit in silence, learning he wasn't speaking to just me, or else he would have addressed me directly. He said 'children'. A bolt shoots through me as I remember the brief, horrific scenes I could remember in the school corridor just before I awoke. Was everyone else strapped to a chair in a dark room like I was? Were they close?

"-I regret to inform you, that in order to set an example for the other districts, your home- District 13, has been destroyed"

My heart stops and my breath ceases. Flashes of my Mother and Father flick through my mind like a flip book before the tears even begin to form in my eyes. What was the President saying- my family was dead? My home?

"However, the twenty-four of you have been given a chance to save yourselves _and _your respective families" the President smiles like it were a gift, but I don't relax. "It is quite simple... the twenty-four of you are to participate in a trial of a new creation of the Capitol's... the _Hunger Games_"

Silence for a moment. I've never heard of the Hunger Games before, and I don't understand how they might work. However, at this moment- I don't care. Somewhere, my family is safe but in danger if I can't win this... game show.

I'm smart, at least- I'm not stupid. I might win our lives. Something in my mind rattles, warning me that these games could not be a good thing if _this_ was the prelude.

"The Hunger Games are quite like the coliseum in a way... you will have a small audience to watch as you compete" the President brushed some unseen, invisible dirt from his arm. "-and, also in that you will all be fighting- to the _death_"

To illustrate this, many screens suddenly light up behind the first. There, wriggling and squirming in their own chairs- I can see my classmates. My eyes flit from screen to screen, recognising each and every child. Twelve year olds to eighteen year olds sit, staring ahead at what could only be their own screen. I recognise several seniors, juniors, Crux and Cisqua- even students who only recently enrolled.  
But, amongst the many familiar horrified faces- my heart freezes as I see Holden with an expression of utter terror on his face and I am suddenly very aware that this is certainly not a dream.

"I am well aware that you are all... acquaintances" The president is still talking. "-but do not think that you can escape these games by refusing to compete. The Gamemakers have total control of your arena, and should you prove difficult- you will be removed"

_Killed_. The playful but murderous glint in his eyes makes his euphemism almost unnecessary.

"You will be armed with supplies that are to be collected from the starting cornucopia, and there will be hidden _tools_ in the arena for you to find and wield- though they are difficult to find and acquire" he chuckles. It's almost too amusing for him to explain. "-however, should the audience take a liking to you- you may even be given gifts from your supporters"

I can see Crux screaming at his screen. Though I cannot hear him, I can see his shoulders shaking as he tries to fight. However, he is staring upwards, where the display of "tributes" are. Somehow, he's trying to speak with another "tribute". I can make out the words "-save you-"

"-should you win, I will grant you and your family freedom... but the moment you die in the arena- your family too, shall be executed in a similar manner"

The screens change, and I am suddenly confronted with my Mother and Father, bruised, beaten and bound to chairs of their own, faceless guards standing either side of them. Father, who had always been strong- is weeping openly as my Mother holds a deadpan expression that can only mean she's been completely broken.

I choke on my tears as the televisions flash back, all of them now picturing the President. His multiple faces all stare down at me, judging but amused. Finally, he opens his arms in an open, welcoming gesture and smiles his best grin.

"I am expecting a great fight, and I will not be disappointed!" he leans close to the camera, and offers a playful wink. "I can only offer you all one tip, and here it is... don't move from the starting plate until the signal... if you don't? Don't say for an instant that I did not warn you... happy Hunger Games"

-It suddenly shuts off, and the lights immediately bloom- illuminating the dark captive room I am bound in. I scream as what feels like hundreds of hands loom from all sides and I am sent into the depths of my mind once more. However, as I can feel my mind closing- the words slip into my ear and disappear almost as quickly as they had been spoken.

"-they're going to _love _you Miss Maya"


	3. Last Day on Earth

**A/N: **Thank you for reading thus far. I really appreciate your efforts. xx

**The Trial Games.**

Though my body is cleaner than it has ever been throughout my entire life, I feel dirtier than I _ever _remember being. The clean, ironed school uniform is crisp and cool against my skin, while the green tartan collar snugly rests around the skin of my neck and matching tartan cuffs wrap around my wrists.

This was what I was to wear during my involvement in "the Games". The pleated green skirt and matching button up blouse were so unlike anything I had ever owned- it had taken me a moment to remember that this simple luxury was what I'd be _buried_ in.

My stylist had been kind whilst she fitted me for the clothes that would see my death. She complimented me endlessly on things I can barely remember as I sat there in fear for what may happen if I were to act out on my fright.

The day had been long and painful. Any day that started with the knowledge that you will soon be forced into killing your friends and classmates would, but it was so much more than that.

I had not said a single word all day. All questions were ignored, all whimpers were silenced and all cries for god to rescue the tribute children had been suffocated.  
I was too frightened to utter a single word to anyone. Not the stylist, nor my cook or the strange servants which did not speak anyway. The President's demonic smile was fresh in my mind, and seemed to curl ever more inside my memory.

None of the other "tributes" had crossed my path. We were all kept separated, most likely out of fear we might try and collaborate _before _the games. My mind was flooded with thoughts of Holden's horrified face upon the screen that had flickered before me that morning. Was he being silent too, afraid for his family's sake, his own?  
It had only occurred to me earlier that it was worse for Holden. I hadn't realised until later that I had recognised one of the younger tributes.

His sister, Adelaide.

My long black hair that I kept tied back was let down and was trimmed only slightly by my stylist's steady hands. I had always protested having my hair cut before, whenever my mother had asked to. There in that chair however, I had no will to cause a problem. A problem could be what ends my life.

I thought again of Holden then. He had once said he liked my hair, even with its tattered ends and flat demeanour. Would I never share a moment with him like that again... or with anyone for that matter?

'_No_,' said the answer from inside my head. '_Never again_.'

I shift uncomfortably on my bed as I review the day in my mind. It had all been so lucid and unreal; I struggle to believe that there was less than an hour left until we are to be placed into the arena. This was to be my last day alive, and I didn't spend it with my loved ones, my family- Holden. Instead, it was wasted. Sitting silently in fear in a stylist's chair as she babbled about how excited she was to be allowed to be a part of the 'trial' Hunger Games.

'_Can't anyone see how wrong this is? How morally corrupt the concept of making children fight for their families lives?'_

Tears couldn't form; I am too tired, too angry- and too frightened to cry. I clutch my bedspread tightly and wrench my eyes tightly shut, begging myself to wake from this nightmare.

'_There is no way this is real... none of this could be real..._'

Time passes, slower than it has ever moved before. I stagger from my bed to the bathroom, knowing there could not be much more time left in this hotel room for me. I grip the sides of the sink and stare blankly at the dank girl who stares back at me.

"...this is it," I whisper, barely able to make a sound. "This is it..."

This might be the last time I ever see my reflection so clearly. I trace my image with my eyes slowly, from the sick, pale yet yellowish skin to the dark green eyes beneath the new fringe. My fingers trace down my undeveloped chest, and let my hands rest upon the beginnings of my hips.

I still look like a child. I'd never be able to watch my full transition into a woman, admire my adult features as I had one day hoped. Just like I would never marry Holden, have those three children- so they wouldn't be lonely as I had been as an only child.

No. That would never be my future. Panem had taken my future through its weapon- the Hunger Games. Even if I lived, Holden wouldn't. That future was but a childish dream, speared through the head by this sickening new reality.

I cringe. Cold tears are finally beginning to spill down my cheeks and tangle in my hair. The bathroom light flickers as my hotel door swings open and I feel my body be led from the bathroom by my right arm.

"It's time darling, we've haven't got any time to lose-"

My stylist sounds excited, particularly eager now. I feel the cold remnants of my tears still fresh on my face as the door shuts with a gentle snap and corridors begin to flit past my eyes.

"...it's already time...?"

"Yes Maya," the woman says kindly, giving me a backwards glance as we stroll quickly down the hallways. "Are you ready for the excitement?"

I say nothing. There is nothing I can say. Agree, and lose all that once was myself. Decline, and risk punishment. I close my eyes and try to ignore the dizzying sickness welling up from within the pits of my stomach.

I am ferried into an elevator where the woman swipes an access card and punches in a series of numbers I don't bother glancing at. The elevator begins to shift downwards, smooth and steady as my stomach gurgles and threatens to push upwards.

_The depths of hell. _That's where I'm going. Hell. Of course.

When the doors finally do open, the room we face before us is dark and shadowy. Instinctively, I step backwards into the elevator, away from the danger- but the stylist tugs my arm forwards into the mystery.

"Step on the metal plate sweetie," she says, pushing me rather than waiting. "Now when you're allowed to move, a signal will go off and... um..."

She pauses, thinking. My heart begins to pound as the plate clicks menacingly beneath my feet, recognising my weight. The ceiling above seems to whir with mechanical noises as the woman remembers herself.

"-oh yes! When a contestant has been disqualified- the boards will flash their images at midnight so you can verify, that's what I had to tell you."

She nods, happy for remembering. I can feel a deadpan stare on my face, covering the fear and panic welling up inside. There's no time left, and I can't fight this fate. I feel that if I were to try and escape now, this plate beneath me will stop me somehow- or this woman would.

"-is there anything you'd like to know Maya, no questions? Nothing to say?"

Questions? About a million race through my mind through the panic- all asking for a shred of humanity, decency- for simple morality to make itself known. Yet as her bright eyes gaze happily at me, only one thing seems appropriate.

"...I'm in love with Holden."

She pauses. The ceiling begins to open- and light begins to flood my field of vision and I go temporarily blind. As a glass tube separates us both- I hear a faint voice say,

"-best of luck-!"


	4. Time for School

**A/N: **I really appreciate all your feedback, critique or just general "Hunger Games is the shiz" banter. Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks fights to the death are _extremely _entertaining.

**The Trial Games.**

As my vision restores itself from the sudden blinding sunlight, I am too frightened to be relieved upon seeing everyone. We are all standing in a circle, all of us on our little starting plates, each about ten metres apart. I'm quickly taking in my surroundings, noting that we are in fact- standing in the middle of a large playing field, perhaps football or soccer.  
In running distance, I can see several school buildings. Four blocks, a canteen and what looks like a performance hall.

I return my gaze to the field. Here I can see a large golden horn shaped structure right in the middle. Piling around it and on top of its being is all manners of things; from backpacks, lunchboxes to baseball bats, flutes and a long, strangely deadly looking metal ruler.

It doesn't take me long to realise that the game makers were going to have fun with their "school themed" massacre. All of us are even dressed in identical uniforms.

An anthem begins playing. Panem's anthem. Usually it's customary to hold your hand over your heart and sing, but we're too busy panicking. No one dares to move, probably remembering the President's advice to remain still until the signal.

I want to see Holden. My eyes dart from contestant to contestant, recognising and moving on from each and every one. I can see red headed Cisqua biting her lip, tugging down on her skirt as she eyes the packs in the middle. Fifteen year old Xander, a boy in Holden's class is grinning and nodding to someone across the field. One of the youngest, Lola; thirteen, is silently crying.

I keep looking. However I stop when my eyes land on Crux. His head is faced towards me, and though I can't see his eyes from the distance, he turns away- fists curling by his sides. Though my eyesight wasn't perfect- I could see the skin turn white from the tension.

Was he angry at me, or was he just as paranoid as I was now that the anthem as drawing to an end?

_Shit_. I begin staring wildly around once more, remembering my task. I haven't found Holden yet, and the anthem is about two lines away from finishing. My heart pounds in my throat and I feel like vomiting as the last notes of the song fades into silence.

No one moves. Valuable seconds tick past as we begin to look around at one another in confusion, all our faces showing the suspense.

Had the games been stopped? Someone had come to rescue us before any blood could be shed out of fear? My chest swells with a faint feeling of hope as I can hear one of our number laugh. We were saved.

Just as I gather the courage to step off my plate- the explosion almost knocks me off my feet. I snap my head left as a small cloud of dirt and flesh splatter across several contestants' faces to the left of the ring. I am horrified as I see several limbs scattering across the ground and shreds of a stained, tattered tartan skirt flutter to the wind.

"_PROSE!_"

My body jerks as I catch a glimpse of the fleshy remains of the girl's head. Though I can't see her face, I can scarcely remember the gentle blue eyes and heart shaped face, framed with curled brown hair. Now it lay smouldering on the football field as a girl from her grade screams her name.

A school bell rings out, two short blasts. Without evening thinking of what I'm doing I turn and run for my life before anyone else even flinches. I don't even feel relief as the metal plate clicks harmlessly as it loses my weight upon it. I want to be sick, cry and mourn the death of an underclassman who I barely knew, but I realise that these games are real.  
This is no place for sentimentality. I swallow the bile rising in my throat, try to ignore the screams behind me and focus on reaching the shelter of one of the blocks.

Prose's death was no accident. We had been told to wait for a signal- but it seemed reasonable to assume the signal was the end of the anthem. But it wasn't. It was the school bell; which had conveniently, _coincidentally_ waited for us to let down our guards and try to leave our starting plates.

No. It wasn't coincidence. I suddenly remember the word 'Trial' and realise that the Gamemakers had made us let down our guards on purpose, to test out the "starting plate" mechanism. And Prose had been the guinea pig.

A pang of guilt strikes me. Prose's family were dead too then, because she had been killed. My pace slows as I remember that Prose didn't have parents, just a grandmother and two younger brothers.

Though the sadness is immense, it wears off so quickly I know I should feel guilty. I don't have time to feel sad for others. I have my own family to fight for; and even though I have a snowball's chance in the River Styx- I can't lose sight of what I'm doing, not even for an instant.

I duck inside the entrance to the first block I reach. I can't hear anyone's footsteps nearby- but the siren rings out two more times as I stare around the inside of the quadrangle in wonder. I try not to think of who might have just died or the possibility of it being Holden as I catch my breath and think of my next move.

The inside of the block is open air, with a total of six classrooms on the bottom floor, and another six on the upper level. In the middle is a garden, for decoration I guess.

Though it was tempting to move to higher ground, I know climbing the staircase will take me at least ten or so seconds, and sound travels. The classrooms seemed inviting, but there was a high probability they were all locked, or worse- empty of hiding places.

My eyes fall onto the centrepiece garden. It's small, only about four by two metres- filled with sharp looking ferns with blooming white flowers surrounding a healthy tree. The tree was covering all that lay beneath it from those who might walk along the top of the block, but give the appearance of weak shade. Also remembering the President's words of "the best things being hidden"- I decide that it is my best option.

I quickly lie flat on my stomach amongst the ferns that scratch my skin and breathe quietly as I wait for the rest to pass through. I can feel my hands rest upon something cold and most likely tin, but I'm too frightened to move my head lest someone notice the black hair amongst the brown dirt.

Then the footsteps echo into the block, and I stop breathing as I realise that I am now certainly not alone.


	5. Watch in Disbelief

**A/N: **thank you again for the interest you show in my little fan fiction. I'm glad you're reading it, even if you like or don't like it.  
Thank you for your time. xx

**The Trial Games.**

Kringle was heaving from his run. Even with my less than commendable eyesight I can see the droplets of sweat running down his chubby face onto his collar, which was also drenched in his efforts.

He was in the year above mine; a seventeen year old. I didn't know him well, only that he was the son of the supermarket owner. Now that we were both here, exhausted and trembling in fear and exhaustion- I almost wish that I had made more of an effort to get to know him. He had always seemed sort of depressed, and had suffered abuse for being so well fed.

I watch from my hiding place amongst the ferns as Kringle desperately stares around the block for a means of concealing himself. His eyes pass over my little garden- possibly knowing that someone with his frame would never comfortably hide amongst its shade- and instead begins to contemplate climbing the stairs.

'_You have to be faster than that Kringle_,' I think to myself desperately. '_Now isn't the time to think about options..._'

The sudden blast of the school alarm makes my body stiffen in shock as Kringle jumps to attention. Someone else had died, along with their family. That had been four bells so far, meaning that only twenty of us were left in the arena.

Frightened by the bell, Kringle finally begins to climb the stairway. With him out of sight, my curiosity for the tin object beneath my hands finally gets the better of me and I slowly, carefully shift my head so my chin rests in the dirt and my eyes can see my prize.

I have found a small, tool-box shaped tin lunch box- patterned with a cowboy print that reads "American Cowboy" on the side and a smart handle on the top. Half buried in the dirt, its lustre has long since faded. It looks as if it may be over a hundred years old- just in good condition.  
My fingers itch to open the lid and peer at its contents, but common sense and fear take the better of me. It'll make noise to undo the latches, and noise isn't something I can risk.

I lay my head flat against the ground once more, and through my peripheral I can just make out Kringle on the upper level- scoping the quadrangle below him. I press myself deeper into the dirt, even though it wouldn't help my situation if he could see me. However he doesn't notice me, and begins to leisurely walk along the top half of the block.

Another alarm rings through the block, and as my thoughts immediately flick to Holden- a flash of white and green bolts into the quadrangle and outside before the tribute can be recognised. Before I could even assume that the mad dash for freedom was all there was, I hear a whistle of metal piercing the air, Kringle's hoarse shout and mocking laughter.

"Too slow _fatty._"

I turn my head and feel my jaw stiffen as Kringle's large body slumps over the upper railing. Blood is foaming from his mouth in large red bubbles as his body twitches and jerks. I watch in horror as his eyes begin to bulge and roll into white, his body slowly slipping top first over the barrier- and I just notice the silver stake in his throat before he falls.

A sickening crunch, and his body hits the stone ground at full force. I began to shake as the alarm bell rings out once more- confirming the boy's death. Tears, not of sorrow for Kringle- but of fear roll sideways into the dirt as I beg myself not to sob, not to move.

Squelching noises fill the block as I assume Kringle's attacker removes their stake from his neck. There is a snort of disgust and a muffled flump as the attacker rolls Kringle over onto his back. There is a moment's rummaging, and then silence. As quietly as I could, I move my head just enough to recognise the attacker and a breathless gasp escapes me before I can stop it. The killer stiffens.

It's Crux.

One hand coated in Kringle's blood, the other clutching a menacing looking crossbow- the boy I knew as my best friend looks around his surroundings for the source of the noise. His face is wary, but his eyes are murderous- unlike anything I had ever seen before in him. He leaves the bloated corpse and circles my hiding place, surveying the upper balconies.

"Little girl..." Crux hisses, a smile twisting upon his face. "Come out, come out... I won't hurt you..."

His light brown hair is speckled with sweat as he smirks around at the block around him. I am suddenly very aware of how tall he is, how thin but muscular my friend has been all these years. Yet, I can't recognise him. The blood on his hands... it isn't Crux.

'_This can't be Crux..._' my mind whispers. '_It can't be him... he wouldn't give in to killing people so easily, their families-_'

My breathing has gotten faster; my heart on the verge of an attack. Crux steps directly in my line of sight, staring towards the upper railings. I plead with myself to slow my breathing, but it only becomes heavier.

Then his head snaps in my direction, and Crux's eyes lock with mine as his smile twists even wider- revealing canine teeth I had never seen before as he laughs almost hysterically.

"-There you are-!"

I scream as he lunges upon me. My right hand grips the handle of tin lunchbox as Crux pins my abdomen down with his knees, gripping my chin with his left hand as he readies the crossbow. His face leans in closely and his psychotic grin is so near I can feel saliva on my face just from his breathing. My breathing becomes shallow as Crux's eyes reflect an unrecognisable emotion.

"-I was hoping to leave you until last Maya." He whispered, stroking my cheek with the pad of his index finger, whilst still gripping my neck. "You could've tried harder to hide... you should know by now my peripheral vision is matched only by your marvellous hearing..."

His voice is unlike the voice I'd grown accustomed to. It's smooth but venomous. I can't speak. I feel as though tears are welling up in my eyes- though my eyes are dry from not blinking. Crux chortles, and lifts the crossbow.

"-where would you like it Maya?" he asks gently, smiling as his grip tightens. "Would you like it to be quick? Painless?"

My body trembles, and my right hand begins to quiver against the lunchbox. My eyes suddenly widen in realisation. Before Crux could lift his crossbow further, I pulled the tin box from its burial plot and swung it upwards into the side of his skull.

He falls sideways into the ferns as I stumbled to my feet and leapt from my garden; clutching the lunchbox tight to my chest as I ran. Crux yells my name and the ferns rustle as he staggers to his feet- but I don't look back. I run for my life.

These games were worse than I had feared. Not only was I fighting for my life, I was fighting alone.

'_I have no friends anymore_.'


	6. Traitor Children

**A/N: **Thank you all for following this story for so long. It's an honour to command your attention.  
This one is rather wordy, but it's a little important. Apologies.

**The Trial Games.**

By the time I stop running, I can't hear Crux's screams over my heaving pants. I had run to the safety of the canteen block and quickly ducked inside the entrance, peering through the open iron grate doors behind me. The block is still within sight, but quite a distance away. As I take a moment to glance around from my new hiding place, and I can see the block I escaped from, as well as a second block neighbouring it. There's no sign of movement- indicating that Crux hadn't decided to run after me.

To my left I can see the accursed football field and the golden horn, now stripped of its treasures. My stomach twists as I notice there are two corpses lying besides the remnants of Prose's charred body.

_They're just going to leave the bodies where they fall?_ I try to regain my breath but my efforts are failing miserably. My mind feels as though its breaking, twisting in on itself for the lack of morality.  
Those two must have died while I was running to the block. I can't see who they were from where I stood- but they both look so small.

A strange wave of relief washes over me that I don't even try to suppress. Neither of those bodies can be Holden then. He's much broader in the shoulders than that...

The bell had rung six times so far. I know that the first had been Prose at the beginning, and the last one was definitely Kringle. What were the identities of the remaining four? Who had been killed before even half an hour passed?

Something in the far distance catches my eye, and I turn right to squint towards it. A little beyond the two blocks I could see another two blocks, one just barely within view. They were separated by a large concrete quad that dipped into the earth like some sort of ghastly battle-arena pit.

_Had anyone reached that far yet? _I couldn't see anyone or anything from where I stood, clutching the black iron gates of the canteen tightly with my left hand.

What would've been useful would be a map, but I guess the Gamemakers didn't want this to be easy. After all, this was a fight to the death. Strategy was something best thought of when the players had nothing to help them, there were more flaws that way.

Though I'm trying so hard, I know I'm fighting the one thought that's resonating within the walls of my mind. _Crux, my oldest friend, had tried to kill me_.

Crux, who used to cover my eyes with his palms every morning without fail, had attempted to end my life?  
He was my best friend aside from Holden. He had been since I was little, even longer than Holden. I vaguely remember how his hair was much blonder then, and his eyes were more bright and childish.

I smile, sliding down to my knees as my lip quivers. My chest hurts and my head aches as I remember those days. He had been so different then, still energetic and optimistic- but affectionately more so. I had really loved him like then, like the older brother I had never been able to have.  
...that boy... had tried to kill me...

A tear hits my hand and I realise I'm crying. A sob escapes me and I look down in my moment of sorrow. As tears fall for the boy long gone- I finally remember the tin lunchbox in my sweaty hand, and my sorrow is alleviated slightly. I remember that I still have a chance.

'_You've lost Crux_,' my mind whispers gently. '_-but Holden might still be out there. Keep fighting. For him._'

Suddenly feeling voracious, I snap open the lunchbox, see the little juice box and sandwich and grab the little sandwich in both hands; not even faltering as I shove it into my mouth. All reasoning from before of surviving by rationing had long fled my mind. I was starving, tired and desperate.

The sandwich was delicious. The white bread was soft and delicious while the meat, still cool was also tasty. A strange white spread that isn't butter oozes from the sides and onto my fingers that tasted sweet and a little tangy. The moment I finish the first half of the sandwich I grab the second, the sauce still smeared on my lips.

There's a squeak, and I freeze. As I sit here, crouching in the canteen doorway- piling my face with food- I had completely forgotten that there could be _others _in my midst. Slowly, and carefully, I turn around and see the perpetrator.

"Miss Maya,"

I stare blankly at the two little girls. I recognise them, two of the younger students from our school- Tilly and Lola. They're both thirteen- and from what I can see, scared and unarmed.

"-you two-" I muffle out, but my mouth still full of sandwich. I swallow and try again sheepishly. "You two."

Smiles of relief break their stunned expressions, and Tilly runs forwards to hug me- which I misread and almost fall backwards to avoid. Still, she wraps her arms around me and buries her teary face into my chest.

"-Miss Maya we were so scared!" Tilly wails. "We were too scared to run, b-but then he killed Cobalt and Ellivieve-"

She chokes. My mind pictures a young girl in Prose's year with short but thick yellow hair that poked out in awkward places- and a boy I vaguely remember playing a game with a large yellow paddle he had called "cricket".  
Then I remember that they're both dead, and my stomach feels hollow again. Did Crux kill them?

"Who? Who killed them?" I ask, looking up at Lola who stares blankly at me with her weak smile. "Did you see?"

"It was Sin... he killed Cobalt and Ellivieve..." Lola answers as Tilly cries softly. "He pushed Ellivieve down and kicked her to death- and then Cobalt... he had a baseball bat... so he tried to take Sin out but..."

She trails off, but I don't need to hear any more. It was obvious that Sin got hold of the bat and finished Cobalt off himself. I'm suddenly very aware of the splatter of blood across Lola's face. She must have been in very close range for it to spray her face.

_That explains the two corpses on the field..._

"You.... you have food...?" Tilly weakly asks as she looks up at me.

"...yeah..."

A greedy thought inside me wanted to lie, but it was a dumb thought. The sandwich is still in plain sight.

"-c-can I...?" Tilly's eyes dart towards the remaining half of sandwich. "I'm so hungry... we had to r-run so far..."

The greediness growls for me to deny her the sustenance- as technically we _are_ enemies and one of us will have to die eventually – but I'm my mind is plagued with memories of seeing her and her friends in the hall, and I find myself handing her the sandwich freely and smiling as she stuffs it into her mouth ravenously, just as I had done.

"Did you see anyone else get...?" I look at Lola. I still want to know the remaining two dead. "...killed?"

"No," Lola shakes her head sadly. "Hendrix told us to run for cover."

That made sense. Hendrix was Lola's older brother, the eldest in group of tributes in fact. He was eighteen years old- and had always been a loner- but was usually kind to the younger students. We all supposed it was due to his surprisingly wise younger sister's influence.

"What about you?" I look up at Lola locks eyes once more. "Have you seen anyone killed?"

My first instincts are to lie, not wanting these two girls to learn of Kringle's fate. They'd ask me who felled him, and then I would think of Crux again. I don't want to think of him as a killer.  
But Lola's knowing stare says that she already knows the truth- she just wants to confirm my reliability. Swallowing, I nod.

"Kringle... he was... killed by Crux... he tried to kill me but... I ran..."

Lola's eyes widen and my head bows automatically. It feels sick to utter that sentence. I still couldn't believe it to be true. He was my friend, not a killer. He couldn't kill Kringle...

"...Tilly get over here."

Tilly, finished with the sandwich- stumbles backwards and is pushed behind her friend as Lola's eyebrows narrow at me. I blink, and Lola makes a head jerk towards the door.

"You have to leave, now Maya." She demands, raising her chin in signal. "Crux is _your _friend- and I'm sorry, but it's probable that you are in league with him."

"What-?" I gape. "No, no Lola! I'm not- I just said he tried to kill me-!"

"-and if _that's _the case, he'll be looking for you- and we can't risk hiding you." Lola's voice is cold and strangely mature. "Not while he is on the lookout for you."

I stand to my feet, but I'm still in shock as the two girls stare at me, their eyes telling me to leave. Tilly's face is shocked, but her eyes are wary. I crouch down to pick up my tin lunch box- and she flinches.

"Leave the box." Tilly blurts out.

"-no!" Anger is starting to fill me from within. "I found this-!"

"Well I found this."

Lola pulls out a slingshot and pulls back the band. I can't believe this. The girls I had just helped were already turning against me, and not only that- robbing me. They were two-faced, double crossing fighters after only two or so hours since entering the arena.

"-let me keep the box, you can keep the juice." I say, trying not to let my fury show. "I don't have a weapon, at least let me have the box."

Tilly looks at Lola, who nods her head after a moment. I place the juice on the concrete floor, close the tin box and cradle it within my arms once more. Turning slightly, but feeling insecure about showing my back to the girls- I say over my shoulder;

"You're making a huge mistake."

"-not while Crux has that crossbow we're not." Lola hisses as she pulls the band taut.

I leave the canteen and slip around the corner, anger burning from within from what a fool I had just played. I decide that Crux has probably left the block by now, and that should be where I head next.

It isn't until I reach the outside of the block again that I freeze.

_I hadn't told them about the crossbow._


	7. Good Night Students

**A/N: **Just in case I don't say it later- Merry Christmas '09! You guys are gorgeous. Thanks for reading.

**The Trial Games.**

It feels like my ribs are constricting tighter and tighter around my heart with each passing second. As I ascend the stone staircase, willing myself not to look back at Kringle's corpse, tears and snot stream down my face as I urge myself not to cry.

'_You can't trust anyone._'my mind insists. '_-but you might still find Holden... don't give up hope Maya, not yet. Not yet._'

I nod through the tears, and I crouch onto all fours as I reach the top balcony so no one below would be able to see my form. I crawl towards the nearest door and reach upwards towards the doorknob, twisting it as slowly as possible to make sure no noise was made.

...but it doesn't open. It's locked tightly, and I'm left squatting here on my hind legs like a fool. I grit my teeth as I fall back onto all fours and continue shuffling down the balcony, my face red with embarrassment, frustration and from all the crying I've done today.

Something makes a muffled noise. I stop shuffling and listen intently- but I hear nothing more. The familiar sense of panic that had flooded through me so many times today began to weave its course through my veins once more. Breathing deeply, I reassure myself that it's just a bird or some kind of rodent- even though I haven't seen anything living other than my fellow tributes today.

I pause for a moment to look up at the sky. The sky is becoming a deep shade of purple, a color I have never seen before. It has been cloudy all day, but now- all the clouds have dispersed and this strange vibrant color now replaced them.  
Night was falling, and I had no place to sleep or hide for the night. I shiver as I pass the place on the ledge where Kringle fell from- and I try my best not to step into the dry smears of his blood that stain the ground.

_I need to find somewhere to sleep. _I eye the approaching doors, one ahead of me- the other around the corner. I could try to open all the doors in the block, but if they were all locked- and without any kind of way of neither breaking the doors down _nor _the ability to risk making noise- there wasn't a whole lot I could do.

As I begin to near the approaching door, the terrifying sound of the school bell alarm freezes my senses and I stop breathing. There's a strange jingling resonating through the air as the door around the corner opens quietly. Clutching my little tin lunch box in my hand, I push my right side into the balcony wall and pray that the assailant doesn't flee down my pathway.

...they aren't. I can hear light and rapid footsteps and the continued jingling disappear out of the block- and I realise that I am once again, alone. My heart beat returns slowly as I slowly peer over the balcony at the now open classroom door.

_'You can rest there,_' the voice urges. '_Go on, it's what you wanted- right?_'

But I can't move. The alarm had rung, and someone had made a mad dash for freedom seconds afterwards. My mind suddenly remembers the faint muffling noise- and my blood runs cold as I recognise it as someone gasping for air.

_There's someone dead in that room_.

I can't sleep in a room where one of my dead classmates lies, strangled and lifeless... can I? The fact I'm questioning a statement I would previously have denied outright sickens me to no end. These games are tampering with my morals.

But night is falling, and soon it'll be too dark to see any potential assailants- and I may not be a genius, but I'm not an idiot- I wouldn't put it past some of my classmates to use the cover of night to aid them in their dirty work.  
Besides, if I don't find a safe place to sleep- I'll be too exhausted tomorrow to keep struggling through these games, particularly with just a tin lunch box to aid me.

Quietly, quickly- I scuffle over to the door as my surroundings grow dark. I slip inside the doorway and slowly stand upright as I gently close the door behind me. Then, preparing myself- I turn to see the room before me.

At first glance, in the darkening room, it looks like she was sleeping at the front of the class. However- as I drew closer to her, I could see her eyes were wide open and cold, bulging from their sockets with her limp hands resting whilst reaching for her neck- marked with a thin red line that had strangled her.

Her name was Kendra. I didn't know her well, but she was in the year above mine. She was a musical kind of girl- I think she used to sing or play the flute. I feel strangely guilty as no tears form, just a strange kind of pity that wells up from the bottom of my ribcage.  
I might have been able to help her if I had lunged heroically into the room, brandishing my little tin lunch box. Perhaps we could have been team mates.

No. She's dead. There was no opportunity for friendship, is no opportunity- and never had been. This sticks firmly in my mind as I reach forward and close her eyelids so that I may not have to look at those bulbous black pupils any longer.  
I would have to sleep here tonight, Kendra's corpse or not. I swallow as I slip my arms under hers- dragging her to the side of the room.

I gently rest the girl down and cross her arms across her chest. Now it looked as though she were sleeping. I stand up and bow my head in solitude for a moment, out of respect for this girl I barely knew but would spend a night with.  
I remained silent as the sun began to disappear from the sky and the purple clouds became a dark noxious black.

Suddenly there's a burst of light. I jump to attention, whirling around to see the source of such unnatural light- and am met with a suddenly luminous blackboard. I stumble forwards, reading the words "Roll Call".

The screen changes and my throat seizes up as a camera captures tiny Prose's last moments on earth- stepping from her plate onto the green pasture of the football field- only for the air to suddenly be thick with her blood. My eyes widen in horror as a very visible leg is flung into the air as bits of human scatter about.

It changes again. Young Ellivieve is pushed to the ground by Sin, a burly boy two grades below me- who promptly begins stomping her repeatedly in the face with her foot. The camera manages to steal a gruesome shot of her teeth being kicked into her mouth- her gums bloody as her eyes roll into the back of her head.

The camera angle changes- and Cobalt charges towards Sin with a baseball bat. The larger boy turns quickly and grabs the end of the bat with ease- yanking it out of Cobalt's hands in one swift motion. As Cobalt's face barely has time to show his fear- Sin swings the bat at full force into the boy's skull- killing him instantly. The camera doesn't stop for a moment to show Sin continuing his assault even as the alarm rings out.

Hendrix, Lola, Tilly and Wyde runs towards the canteen, but young Wyde takes a moment to look back. In a split second, a stake pierces through his eye socket and he crumples to the ground instantly. Hendrix grabs Lola and Tilly in his arms and runs full pelt for the canteen as Crux shoulders his crossbow and leisurely pulls the stake from his kill.

Sparkle and Cisqua run towards the blocks, but Sparkle is crying from exhaustion. She falls to her knees, and before Cisqua can even attempt to pull her up- a stake lodges itself into Sparkle's back. Without pausing, Cisqua runs through the block as her friend writhes in pain and the boy with the crossbow stands over her and points the next stake into her head.

Blood foams from Kringle's mouth as he topples forwards from the balcony once more. The sickening crunch is amplified through the microphone and I can taste the vomit climbing to my mouth.

-and finally, Kendra chokes for help as Valera- a quiet girl from two years above strangles her with a thin piece of wiring. She kicks and squirms as Valera's intense look of concentration doesn't falter until Kendra's dying moment – where she kicks the body away and runs from the room.

The screen then goes dim, with the words '**Good Night Students**' printed in elegant lettering- and I can't hold back any longer.

I vomit, all over the carpet, my hands, my shoes. My body shakes as I crumple to my knees, unable to register all the horror and inhumanity I had just witnessed. Seven dead, _seven _dead students- all whom I knew. Two had been killed by Crux- and some had even been first year students.

The bile rises again once more, and I don't even try to hold it in. My stomach churns empty and tears and snot begin to dribble down my face as I heave over the nearest table.

'_I can't... I can't believe any of this..._'


	8. Hit the Ground Running

**A/N: **I can't say why, but I do enjoy writing such a terrible story of teenagers killing each other. Only in the 21st century would a girl get away with that.

**The Trial Games.**

I barely slept that night. I was roused by the alarm bell twice, and each time it took me more than an hour to relax into a state able of sleep again. I chose to lie where Kendra's body had fallen, so that perhaps if someone was to look in- they would think I was her, and not notice her corpse clumsily concealed beneath the tables against the wall.

No one came in.

My neck cracks as I turn to look through the window at the still dark sky- and mysteriously know in my gut that it's almost sunrise. I slowly lift myself from the floor as I pat the ground around me, searching for my tin lunch box. As my half-asleep hand finds it, I grip its handle tightly and slowly rise to my feet.

'_It's time to go Maya._'

The voice in my head almost sounds like my mother, coaxing me into going to school. Only it's my voice- and it's not half as patronizing. I know that if I wait until sunrise- I'll be in plain view of anyone left- and with nine dead- it was likely that the only ones left were the students who felt capable of murder.

-I don't need them seeing me.

_I wonder who was killed last night. _The door opens silently by my hand, and I'm thankful the uniform blouse was long sleeved- because my legs receive the full frontal attack of the morning chill. I shiver, my legs quaking- and I gently pull the door closed with my free hand.

It clicks. And I groan in realisation.

It's locked itself.

I was thankful that I hadn't left my lunchbox inside- but I was still angry with myself for not realising that I hadn't properly unlocked it while I was closing it. Yet, I don't know why I was so angry at myself. I don't think I was even planning to come back to this room, now that it was another day to run and hide.  
I wasn't that fussed on sleeping by Kendra's corpse another night anyway.

The cold morning air has no breeze, and when I descend the staircase to the bottom of the block, I'm revolted by the sight of Kringle's body- still lying face-up on the block floor. My mind is automatically filled with the last moments of his life- blood foaming from his mouth and the sickening thud as he hit the ground- and I clench my eyes tightly shut and will myself not to throw up again.

Last night had been a huge mistake. My stomach, now purged of what little of the sandwich I had eaten- groaned and ached from its emptiness. I had never had to deal with not eating, as my family did fairly well for themselves- so this was probably one of the longest times I've ever gone without food.

Strangely enough though, I hadn't had anything to drink since the morning of the games- but I don't feel thirsty at all right now. It's a blessing in disguise as far as I can tell.

As I stand in the alcove that leads to the school grounds outside the block, I know that I need to figure out where I'm going now- rather than on the run. It's still dark enough to run into the open- but soon enough, there'll be an orange tinge on that horizon- and that'll be when my luck runs out.

'_You can't go to the canteen_,' the voice tells me. '_Those little brats will be there... and Hendrix too perhaps..._'

That rules out the canteen. Hendrix was eighteen, and I don't like the chances against him- even if the canteen is the main source of food. If Lola told him I was a threat, he'd snap my neck with his hands probably.

I glance around again. In the darkness, I can still make out the golden horn of the football field- as well as those hazy figures of Ellivieve and Cobalt's dead bodies. There was little reason to believe the cornucopia would fill again overnight- especially if this was a battle to the death.

I know from memory that surrounding this block was two others- as well as a large concrete quadrangle in between. What lay further than that- I don't know. My eyesight isn't as good as it could be, all I can take pride in is my hearing- and even that isn't spectacular.

'_If the blocks are anything like this one..._' my little voice muses. '_Then all the doors will be locked... just like this one..._'

God. That'd leave me with no options. There are twelve other tributes in this arena, three of which I _know _are killers from the footage last night. As I stand in this alcove, their images brushed through my mind.

First was Sin, the fourteen year old boy who looked as though he was born lifting weights. He'd killed Ellivieve and Cobalt on the football field- and, if he had decided to keep Cobalt's weapon- was still brandishing that steel baseball bat.

Second was Valera, the eighteen year old girl who had seemed nothing but the silent, perhaps artistic type – who had strangled Kendra, her junior by one year, whom I had just shared a room with last night- with a thin piece of wiring.

But it was the last one that frightened me most. He had killed three students so far, all with the same set of stakes, all with the same bored, unsympathetic stare.

Crux, my oldest friend- the boy who I had grown up alongside- was the most frightening of all the tributes in the arena. I had barely escaped him yesterday, and I had run with him still screaming my name.  
It was easy to say our friendship was dead at this point- as just thinking his name made my blood run cold and my stomach churn in on itself.

_As long as I don't run into him, I'll be fine_.

I peer around the corner of the block towards two of the other blocks. I have made a decision- however poorly it seems, even to me. My only chance is to see what's beyond the quadrangle and the blocks, and hopefully it'll be a place where I can successfully hide from the tributes I once called classmates.

The sky is still a deep purple, and I need to run now. I breathe deeply and, after giving one brief glance back at the block- run for the next block beside the quadrangle.

The grass is slippery with dew beneath my shoes, and I stick my arms out wide to keep balance. My lunchbox clatters noisily in my hand, but I don't stop running. I pray that, should anyone hear it- that they're too tired to inspect the source. Or that they're asleep, or already dead.

The next block draws closer, and I slow my pace- clutching the lunchbox in a way that it won't clank and clutter about. As I reach the alcove, I breathe a sigh of relief, relieved my dash had been successful. I quietly walk into the alcove's darkness.

-and am pushed backwards by a green iron gate, sending me crashing onto my backside in the wet grass that feels a million times colder than the air around.

_Why is there a gate here?! _My eyes are wide in shock from the sudden fall. I drop the tin lunchbox to the grass and stumble to my feet, grabbing the bars in my hands. They were firmly locked, and barely moved even as I tried to shake them.  
Someone, someone with _keys_ had taken up shelter in here- and had left no room for mistakes. This successfully left me out in the cold, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I shakily pick up my lunchbox, but I don't stop staring at the green barrier. With this gate in place, I have to move- and fast. The quadrangle was ten metres away- but I am not about to set foot in there, not with my first impression of a battle pit still standing.

That only left me only one other option. The other block, more than two hundred metres away. I shiver from the cold and, not even registering why, I slowly look to the sky and feel a sensation similar to having your stomach assimilate into your intestines.

The sun was rising.

_-and I'm running out of time to run_.

There was no time to think of an alternate plan. I run, and I run hard. My tin box clatters so loudly I feel like a tin-man is following me, closer with every step. My chest heaves with every pound my foot gives and my eyes water as the block draws closer. Somewhere, in the quadrangle- I can hear someone shouting and I will my legs to run further.

Practically diving through the block's alcove sends a short-lived sense of relief over me as I successfully make it through the brick entrance. I barely have time to notice the almost identical centre piece garden as the previous block and the twin sets of stairs as I hear the rapid footsteps and hoarse yells from behind me.

Quickly, I jump into the centrepiece garden and flatten myself to the dirt as the voices enter the quadrangle and footsteps run up the stairs. I stop breathing, and it's not because my followers have found me. They haven't. Though my eyes lock eyes with someone else's eyes and I can feel my throat close up.

There's someone else in this garden.


	9. Friend in the Bushes?

**A/N: **God I love the Hunger Games. It's almost an illness.

**The Trial Games.**

It's Cisqua. The bossy, self-pronounced student president. I can hardly recognise her with all the dirt over her usually flawless face, and her auburn hair now strangely wiry. The only thing that hasn't changed is her hazel eyes- and even they're wide in fear.

It only takes a moment for me to realise that she's not going to stab a hidden knife in my guts, and soon her rigid body relaxes as she realises I'm not either. Instead, the two of us lay in silence as the voices around us become clearer.

"-she's not up here," a boy's voice hisses. "All the doors are locked too, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't have the keys."

"Valera does." Another boy pipes up. "That's why that other block's all closed up!"

"Shut up Lock," comes a deeper voice. "Don't go making unnecessary noise."

There's silence, but more footsteps as the group of three boys continue to inspect the block. A long time passes without anyone saying anything, until-

"-you reckon she ran out the other side?"

"Sin or Recklo would have caught her." The gruff voice answers. "-besides, in the off chance she got away, odds are Crux would finish her off."

My body goes stiff upon hearing his name again. Everyone seemed aware of Crux's change for the worse- like it was common knowledge. I still couldn't really believe it. Nor did I want to.

"-hey Battler-" there's a flump, and I assume Lock's chosen to sit down. "Why's it that Crux didn't want to team up with us?"

"-how would I know?" the other boy mumbles. "Just be glad he didn't fire that crossbow on our asses, he's got damn scary aim..."

"I think he's going after someone in particular." The deep voiced boy says suddenly. "He was sort of following that Maya girl when the alarm went off."

Cisqua's eyes snap towards me, and I clench mine tightly shut. So it hadn't been a coincidence that Crux had come into the same block as me. It explained why he had called out '_little girl_' without even seeing me, but it didn't frighten me any less.

"-I wonder if he killed her or not?" Lock sounds bored. "I wish we'd camped out in a classroom- I don't even know who else died yet."

"-what does it matter?" Battler snapped. "We're alive, and we've got Sin _and _we have the weapons- so anyone can bloody die however they bloody well like-"

"Calm down," The deeper voiced one sounds further away. "We better get back; they'll wonder why we're taking so long."

The troop of footsteps disappear gradually through the block's entrance, but not before Lock whines loudly;

"Wish _we _got the food though- I'm _starving_-"

Cisqua and I don't say anything. When the three boys finally vanish, Cisqua and I sit up- staring blankly at one another with nothing to say.  
I wonder if I look half as exhausted as she does. I have been falling down and lying in the dirt quite a bit since yesterday- so I guess I should.

Then, without warning, Cisqua slaps me across the face and I fall backwards in shock, my cheek stinging. I grab my little tin lunch box to swing up at her, ready for an assault- when I notice as she's begun to weep silently. I stop myself and watch as she cries with those hazel eyes open and scared, tears pouring down her face.

"-_Maya_," Her hands clench the dirt beneath her. "You sc-scared me so much... b-but I-I'm s-so sorry... I-I left her to die- Sp-Sparkle she... she..."

She continues to sit upright and cry quietly. My cheek still smarts from her random strike, but I don't feel angry in the slightest. Instead, I fight my own tears and wrap my arms around the girl I had never once considered a friend until now.

"It's okay, I saw-" I whisper as Cisqua chokes. "He..." I clench my eyes tightly shut to stem the tears, and distract myself from thinking about who 'he' was. "He would have killed you too... there was nothing you could do..."

Minutes of holding the crying girl pass with no interruption. She clutches my blouse tightly and her tears stain the fabric with remnants of mascara. I can't truly grasp the feeling, but the block where we sit feels strangely tranquil- the most at ease I've felt since entering the arena.

"-Maya, is it true?" Cisqua asks, her tears stopping slowly. "I-I heard that Crux is looking for you and Holden."

My stomach lurches. _Holden_? Crux wants to kill _Holden _too?

"I don't know, I only just got away-" I stammer.

"-you got _away_?" Cisqua looks mortified. "Maya, if Crux was trying to kill you- you _wouldn't _get away."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm alive aren't I?" A stab of annoyance hurts my ego at her words. "-I hit him with my lunch box so-"

But I stop talking for a moment to re-evaluate the situation. Crux had killed three people, and from my past experience from watching his schoolyard fights- he got up quickly when knocked down. When he wanted to hurt someone for what they said, he barely _stayed _down. That fact hadn't occurred to me until now.

"...maybe I dazed him?" My voice is breathless from the realisation. "You... think?"

Crux could've killed me, easily. He could've shot me while I ran- and he's not a bad runner, he could've chased me if he had wanted to. So why hadn't he?  
A poignant sense of hope begins to well up inside me, but I quickly push it down. None of this changed what I'd seen- or that he had been willing to kill me when I was under his weight.

"-you see!?"

"Huh?" Reality comes back to me as Cisqua stares at me incredulously. "I'm sorry, I wasn't... I didn't-?"

"I think the reason why Crux didn't kill you is because, deep down, he still thinks of you as a friend!" Cisqua's hurried whispers are more like gasps. "Don't you think so? That's why he could kill those other people so readily, but not _you_."

I can do little more than stare at her. I'd spent the last day assuring myself that our friendship was dead, and to bring it up again like it was Lazarus seemed ridiculous.

"-okay, Maya- I want to... I want to team up, only if it's okay with you."

I'm taken aback by her sudden offer. Team up? The thought hadn't occurred to me yet, even with the group of boys and Lola and Tilly's alliance working against me. Something inside still nagged that this game was a solo mission.

"-you don't have to!" Cisqua waves her arms as she whispers. "It's just I realised that you don't have anyone with you, and we might stand more a chance together..."

She looks miserable, like she already knows I doubt the idea. Looking at the previously arrogant girl, I smile weakly, and find myself giving her a half-hearted shrug.

"Why not..?"

I'm pushed into the dirt by Cisqua's hug. She whispers an endless stream of "thank you" as I suppress a tiny laugh, the first I've had since being kidnapped from District Thirteen.  
As she pulls away, her eyes are now a glimmer with endless possibilities- all hatching at once.

"-we should find Holden." Cisqua looks almost excited. "I saw him running with his sister past here when the first bell went- so I'm positive they're at the Performance Hall."

"Performance Hall?"

I almost snorted from how ridiculous it sounds, but I realise it's the structure beyond the quadrangle I couldn't see. So that means this arena is made up of four blocks, a canteen, the football field, the quadrangle and a performance hall...

"We can't really go now," Cisqua sighs. "The sun's rising, and we'd be seen for sure... I wish we had the keys to these doors..."

Those keys again. I remember the boys mentioning that Valera had them- and I'm almost dead certain she stole them from Kendra- because that's how they opened that room without smashing the door.

Wait.

"-do you have any weapons?" I blurt out so suddenly that Cisqua jolts.

"No," she raises her eyebrows. "Maya, you aren't actually thinking of going on the offensive are you?"

"-no, I'm not-" I look around the block as Cisqua waits for the real answer. "It's just if we had something sharp and heavy, like an axe or something- we might be able to knock these doors in and find those 'treasures' Snow talked about."

Cisqua twitches from the mention of Snow's name, but her face lights up. Rummaging inside her skirt pocket, she reveals a thick, soiled key.

"This was in the dirt here, but it doesn't fit any of these doors." She hands it to me, and then points in the direction of the first block. "-but I think it matches the lock on the Gardener's shed by the football field."

Great. The one advantage we have- and it's practically a death trap. The Gardener's shed was guaranteed to be filled with potential weapons- but to get there would mean being in plain sight of _everyone_. I don't like the chances we have against the boys in the quadrangle- or the fact that Crux might finish the job and actually shoot me.

"It's the only chance we have." Cisqua must be able to read minds. "-but only one of us should go... and if you don't want to, I'm willing to make a run for it."

I'm a terrible person. I actually want to agree and send Cisqua to her premature death- just because I'm terrified that I'd be seen if I went. However, instead of agreeing- I decide that more musing is needed.

"-maybe we could cause some kind of diversion..." I look at her for approval. "What we need is one us to make a lot of noise to distract those guys- and the other one runs for the shed..."

Almost immediately, Cisqua's eyes lock onto my lunchbox and a grin widens across her face. My stomach churns as I realise I'm to do the run, and the dirty key in my hand feels very hot. She nods at me and takes the tin box from my hands.

"I'll make the noise, you get the toys."

Well at least the plan rhymes.


	10. A New Maya is Born

**A/N: **Thank you all for reading so far! Gives me that warm and tingly feeling knowing people are actually reading/giving a care.

**The Trial Games.**

Cisqua somehow has decided it to be in her best interests to trust me wholeheartedly. I feel almost a little guilty knowing that I don't entirely feel the same way as quickly as she has done. It's not that I think she's going to kill me with a knife to the back- it's more that were I to die, she wouldn't take long in the grieving process. She _had _run pretty quickly when Sparkle had been hit but still had a chance of surviving.

I can't think about this now. I have minutes, possibly _seconds_ before Cisqua decides to execute the plan. I take a deep breath and stare out at the long stretch of field that lies before me. It had taken me more than expected to sleuth my way to the side of the block, where Cisqua and I had agreed would be the best place to run from, and I was starting to worry that it'd take me exponentially longer to run the three hundred metre distance to that tiny speck on the football field.

There were several flaws in our plan that we hadn't been able to work out during our short thirty-minute planning session. The first was that the boys would spot me making my way around the block to make the run and finish me off right away. That potential mistake had been averted somehow, but there was no reason to feel relaxed.

The second was that while I ran- someone would see me and decide they want me dead. That one still worries me, because I know I'm not a fast runner- and I don't have my flimsy lunchbox with me for comfort.

The third was that they'd catch Cisqua making the racket and kill her on the spot. My guilt strikes up again as I realise that, if any of these mistakes have to happen- I'd prefer Cisqua's death to mine.

The final was the worst, and the one that still gnaws away at my head as the little key grows steadily hotter in my sweaty palm. I'm petrified that this one will be the case and the whole plan will fall apart.

The key won't fit in the lock.  
That one thought is so terrifying, that I know I can't dwell too long upon it or else I won't be able to make it past the next block- let alone to the football field.

In my line of vision, I can't see any movement on the grounds around me. The morning sky has a deadly tinge of red seeping into the clouds that spread across the sky, which looks too omniscient of the blood being shed below.

I hear a short whistle, and my legs tense themselves automatically. Cisqua had started the ten second count down until she began to make the noise. I look to the sky one last time before focusing my sights on the dingy little shed, taking a deep breath as I ready myself for the run.

The block resonates with the violent sounds of the lunchbox being bashed against the ground repeatedly. The tin clangs and clatters as Cisqua continues to hit it into the hard concrete- trying her best to attract the attention of the boys in the quadrangle. A minute of solid agony passes until I begin to hear the boys, a large group than before- four, maybe all five running into the block.

The second the last footstep disappears, the clanging stops and I lunge forwards. I know it's foolish to use up all your energy on the first few yards, but this wasn't a marathon- it was a dash for life. It was either make it to the shed, or perish on the clean green fields of this school of death.

Suddenly something moves to my left, and I turn my head in the direction to catch a glimpse of what it is, horrified that my time of death is potentially seconds away. I don't stop running, but I see that a very small figure has poked its head from the Canteen to investigate the noise.  
Either Tilly or Lola has heard the clanging and has decided it important enough to risk being seen. I look back to the gardening shed, and I feel a little relieved that it isn't Crux or one of the boys following me. _The plan is going perfectly_, I think excitedly. _This couldn't be going any better-_

Then the bell rings, and I stop dead in my tracks.

No. No, no, no. My mouth is dry as I stumble around to face the block, which is still devoid of movement. The bell can't have rung just now. Cisqua was hiding, she has no weapons. Those boys have lots of weapons. If anyone had just died now it'd have to have been... no, no, no...

I almost drop the key and fall to my knees. I had thought that I wouldn't care if Cisqua had lost her life, but there's an aching in my heart that feels worse than when I watched Kringle crash to his death. This can't be right, it can't be.

'_Maya..._' the little voice has come back. '_You have to keep going, you can't give up now that Cisqua's dead... you have to keep going..._'

_No_. My body is shaking, the key cutting into my palm from clenching it so tightly. _No I can't, this is wrong- it's so wrong..._

'_Maya!_' the voice scolds. '_If you die, your family, your mother and father- they die too! You have to find Holden; you have to find a way out of here- you have to KEEP GOING_'

My teeth clench down on my tongue. I'd never listen to someone in my head, especially not before the games- but this nagging voice had a point, and I needed to keep going to the shed.

I sprint the last twenty metres towards the shed and take the old, mouldy lock in my left hand as I fit the key in with my right. To my relief, it fits and turns smoothly- almost too smoothly for a usual lock in this condition. As I open the door to the dark recesses within, my world shakes again with another blast of the school alarm.

I have no idea who that could've been, and I know there's no time to dwell upon it. Instead, I step into the darkness of the room and try to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.  
At first I see nothing, but slowly I can make out the shapes of a tool board, complete with hanging hammers, packets of nails, chisels, a crowbar, a mallet and a pair of scissors with strangely serrated edges.

Parked inside is a ride on lawn mower, and I can see a shovel propped up beside the entrance door. As I walk around, wondering what it is I should take- knowing that I don't need to bring anything back for Cisqua, another blast of the alarm bell sends my mind further into confusion.

Did the boys kill Cisqua, and then turn on each other? I can't imagine that working, seeing how cowardly Lock, Battler and the other seemed earlier this morning. Then what could possibly be happening to cause so many deaths? Had 'Sin' decided they were worthless and deserved to be killed on the spot?

'_Forget about the bells_,' my inner voice pleads. '_Weapon, you need a weapon... something you can use to break down doors and defend yourself against the others..._'

I start to examine all the tools in this light. A hammer is too weak to break down a door by itself, and a chisel wouldn't do much good either. Taking the crowbar is a thought that capers around my mind for a few moments, until I realise that they're better for opening windows- not doors. Besides, I don't even know how to use it to open a window.

The ride on mower seems more like a novelty than a practical item- so I immediately discard it from the list of options. The shovel might be able to smash windows, but in all honesty I was hoping for something in the form of an axe. I don't have a lot of upper body strength, but with an axe I might be able to make a dent in some doors.

-But there isn't an axe here, and as I scour the length of shed looking for one- I find myself cursing under my breath. A real school would have an axe, piled up amongst these bags of sawdust, hedge clippers and paint tins. Why isn't there an axe? Was there on in the cornucopia that I had missed?

"...just an axe... anything like an axe..." I grit my teeth, pulling open drawers and finding nothing of use. "Please... don't make this have been all for nothing... an axe..."

Something glints from the light outside, and I pause. Turning, I see a little silver parachute fold upon itself as something heavy rests in the dirt beneath it. A mixture of curiosity and terror fills me from within as I kneel down and pinch the soft, silky parachute between my fingers, lifting it from the object beneath.

It's a cleaver. About the size of my thigh, the blade is short and thick, with a serrated edge, hooked end and a dark wooden handle, buckled together with metal and what looks like gold. As I pick it up, strange warmth floods my fingertips, and I find myself holding it in my right hand with such ease it feels almost like an extension of my arm. It almost feels too light to be able to cause real damage.

A little card flutters to the ground, and I pluck it from the dirt with my free hand, curious as to where this gift came from. Squinting in the dark I read;

**We're rooting for you Miss Maya!  
You'll find Holden with this!  
Love,  
the Mayans.**

I almost want to laugh. I have fans, fans that have called themselves "the Mayans?" How tacky, but strangely affectionate enough to make me forget why I should hate them for enjoying to watch children destroy each other.

-But it's fantastic. The feeling of dread and fear I had felt from the three bell rings has long disappeared into this new surge of confidence that comes from holding this beautiful cleaver. It far outdoes my little toolbox. I drop the card, and turn to the desk I had been searching. I want to test this little one out.

I raise the cleaver above my head and focus hard on the desk. Contorting my face with concentration, my arm tenses as I bring the cleaver swinging down upon the surface with all the force I can muster.

The desk buckles and splinters under the sheer pressure of my strike- and the cleaver sinks inches into the wood. I wrench it free of the wooden desk and feel amazed at my own strength. If I kick this table now, it would surely break in half.

'_I can't believe it'_, I'm shaking with excitement as the voice whispers, as if to itself. '_I have a real chance now... with this cleaver I might actually really be able to survive..._'

Now, holding this cleaver- the rational inner voice and I seemed to merge.

-and a new Maya was born.


	11. Noises in the Dark

**A/N: **Just curious, who do _you_ think will win the Trial Games? Also, who's your favourite, and why if you can tell me. I've been seeing that quite a few like Crux, which is quite amusing!  
Heads up, he's back this chapter. Things are about to get deadly.

**The Trial Games.**

The day in which I had been changed was almost over, and those grey clouds and red sky had begun to thunder down on the arena- causing darkness to fall faster than the night before. Which was very convenient for me, as that was crucial to my new plan.

There was no reason to go back to the appointed block to meet with Cisqua, especially when the odds were that she was dead at this point. Instead, I had spent the remainder of the day hiding inside the gardener's shed, ignoring the stabbing pains of hunger and my parched throat while working on a plan to break into the Canteen.

I need nourishment, and the only place in the arena stocked with food is the Canteen. As much as I don't feel like risking my life against the traitorous Tilly, Lola and their protector Hendrix- it was a risk I have to take, otherwise I will waste away by the piles of mulch in the gardener's shed.

'_I best start moving soon_,' the voice inside my head has become my own. '_It's dark enough... now's as good as any time to start moving_.'

The plan was to draw the attention of those in the Canteen outside, so I can successfully manoeuvre my way inside before night fell. If I succeed, I'd be able to procure supplies and allow myself to be enveloped in the night before the three even noticed the broken window.

I'd set the ride on mower on by placing something heavy on the accelerator and sending it in the direction of the canteen. It was basically a straight line from the shed to the canteen block, so it seemed plausible. I had already chosen a particularly weighty bag of mulch to lie on the pedal, and I was all ready to begin the plan once night drew nigh.

It's going to be tricky though, now that the ground is muddy and the field has patches of water that seem more like lakes than puddles. But there's no other option. I need to send the mower forward so I can get a head-start and wait behind the canteen for the gargantuan mower to distract them to the front.

My legs no longer ache from their strenuous runs, but they shiver in the cold as I step outside. I pull the gear stick into drive and manage to let the mulch bag sink onto the correct pedal before I jump backwards from the loud roar the mower emits. Then, to my joy- it trundles on its way towards the Canteen- and I begin to run the slow curve towards the back.

'_To think-_' I smile to myself as the rain patters down upon me. '_I thought the ride on would be worthless_!'

My cleaver feels cold in my hand as it cuts through the air with every stride. I can't stop myself from swinging it; my arms just naturally stick out awkwardly as I run. I'm thankful that it doesn't clatter about like my lunchbox had.  
I'm becoming stealthier and more tactful by the day. Yesterday, I had been crawling about, trying to find an open door. Now, I was taking initiative. I was going to break in through a window.

I reach the back of the canteen long before the ride on makes it half-way across the field. My hearing, though impaired through the gentle shimmer of the rain- can still hear the low drone of the beast rumbling along its way. Thank god it hadn't gotten stuck in the mud. I'm sick of plans not going... _according _to plan.  
I frown a little to find the windows are a touch on the small side. I won't be able to dive in and out as quickly as I had hoped- but I'd be able to make it in and out.

Suddenly the alarm rings, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I should know by now not to worry, but with that ring- there's only eleven tributes left in the arena. That's less than half that entered. I made it into the bottom half? How is that possible?

I hope Holden's still alive. Cisqua had said he was in the Performance Hall, with his sister probably. Adelaide. How lucky she was to be with her loving brother. A sigh escapes me as I lean against the brick wall, just out of sight of my chosen window.

What I wouldn't give to be with him now. Perhaps I wouldn't have seen anyone die had I been with him, and my mind wouldn't be haunted with images of Kringle foaming at the mouth, or sleeping by Kendra's suffocated corpse.  
...and perhaps... perhaps I would have been enveloped in his arms, and he might have stroked my hair and told me it would all be alright... I wouldn't need a cleaver there...

The slow, buckling crunch of wood being struck brings my mind from its captivating daydreams- and I suddenly feel melancholy. I'd rather be in my dreams then do what I'm about to do. Steal food from two girls and their older brother, who might be starving as much as I am right now.  
Not even in District Thirteen did I ever steal food. That was the lowest of low. Anyone who stooped to that point in life was lower than dirt, and deserved nothing.

I can hear a voice, Lola's voice. They're outside, inspecting the still groaning ride on- and now I know it's time for me to break the window. Creeping sideways, I grab the handle of my new cleaver and, taking a moment to prepare myself for the shards- swing it into the glass. It shatters almost musically, and I could dance for joy when I hear that the ride-on has chosen to die with a loud rumbling groan just at the same moment.

I cut my hand a little a pulling stray glass shard from the window. I don't want to shred my stomach on the way in, and it's going to be a tight fit. Finally, when the window appears suitable, I begin to ease myself inside- and end up belly first on the floor before standing up and observing my unlit surroundings.

The first thing I smell is plastic, which is a common smell back home with the processing factories. What I can hear excites me, as it's the sound of a dribbling tap. I'm tempted to turn on a light, but again, I know that'd be a mistake.

There's no sound outside the room, but I can still hear Lola talking, fast and sternly in the distance. They're still outside by the sounds of it. Perhaps I could risk turning on a light... just for a few minutes, just until I've found enough food and water to survive the next few days.

I fumble my way across the wall, my fingers meeting the odd plastic poster here and there- before finding the doorframe and the light switch. I breathe deeply before I flick the switch, as if the switch were a gun trigger and I was about to take a plunge.

It's not the food storage, like I had hoped. It's not even remotely canteen related. I want to scream because of the sheer, unwanted irony.

It was the infirmary.

The room is artificial, plastic and sickly white from every corner. There's a large whiteboard pinned up on one side of the room, untouched by the markers that were assembled below it, alongside posters explaining the process of CPR, and how to combat food poisoning.  
I had wanted aid, and I had received it. Just not want I had wanted in the least.

There's no time to gripe, so I turn on the tap and begin to drink the water as fast as my throat can manage. I gulp it down, the cool, clean water that tastes so much more delicious than I ever remember it being. My parched throat aches and I have to squint my eyes because of the water splashing all over my face.

Oh god. Nausea is beginning to rise from the pits of my gut drinking so much on an empty stomach. I allow myself to sit on the floor for a few minutes as the sickness passes, using my time to survey the room in case there is any source of food available. There's nothing in sight, and as the sickness subsides I grudgingly pull myself up and flick the light switch off once more.

If only those three weren't still in the canteen. Then I'd be able to search for supplies, and maybe I could put this hunger away for another day or so. Tilly had been the one to eat half of my sandwich and steal my juice- so isn't it fair to at least let me take what I needed from the canteen supplies?

Then, the board sends out a burst of light and I fling my hands over my eyes for a second before pinning them back to my sides as I recognise what it is happening.

Roll call.

The screen's static flickers as Matra, a girl in my own year; known for her extroverted nature and tendency to "cry wolf"- chokes as Valera pulls the wire tight around her throat, the keys jingling in her skirt pocket.

My heart stops as I recognise a horrified Holden alongside a boy named Boxen. I fear the worst and prepare to scream, but he's screaming someone's name as the camera focuses on young Ruby- who had just turned twelve- steps onto the stage of the performance hall- just as a large sandbag falls from the catwalk and kills her on impact.  
My heart aches as Adelaide, half her face burned and charred- her hair missing in great patches- buries her face in her brother's chest, crying as the bell tolls for her friend.

I scramble forwards to catch a proper glimpse of Holden, but the screen changes- and I'm surprised to see that it's not Cisqua's death being shown on screen.

Lock falls backwards as, much to my alarm, a silver stake pierces his chest. The camera catches a rather inhuman shot of Crux leaping upon his body and ripping the stake out as Lock still twitches and flails as the life is sapped away.

Next is Xander, the boy I couldn't identify by his voice. Xander lunges at Crux as he's focused on Lock- and is knocked backwards as Crux fires the crossbow over his shoulder, hitting Xander dead centre in the face. I have to look away as blood spurts from his cheek and Crux turns to yank the stake out of Xander's face before his body even falls.

Then Battler. Battler, terrified at the fate of his comrades- turns and runs for his life back to the quadrangle. But he's too slow. Crux, almost leisurely- fires again- and hits him in the back of the neck. The boy crumples to the floor and Crux walks over, swiftly pulling the stake from his body before turning back to investigate the block.

Then there's a strange shot of Valera, staring the camera dead in the face as the rain patters against the windows. Then her knees buckle, and she falls to the floor, revealing Crux- still pointing that crossbow where she had stood, with a twisted smirk that seems to brag his newest win. The camera leaves me with the terrifying shot of Crux swirling the keys around his finger, not before giving the camera a terrific grin.

As the words "**Good Night Students**" flutters across the screen before it all turns black, I begin to piece together what this means.

Holden's alive, and he's with Boxen and his sister who was injured from the mine blast at the beginning. Three of the pack of killer boys is dead, meaning only Sin and Recklo are left. Cisqua, who I had so easily thought was dead, is alive. And Valera, the one who had the keys, is dead.

-Finally, Crux- had added four more to his tally of kills. He hadn't lost a single stake- and now held the keys to the entire arena. Before I can even let that thought chill my mind, I begin to put together what I could understand from his moves.

He had dashed to the sound of the clanging and clattering.

'_-because it was my lunchbox making the noise_. _He thought it was me._'

He had killed all the boys involved when he couldn't find me.

'-_because he... doesn't want me dead... yet?_'

...but why had he targeted Valera? It would take a lot of effort to scale the block walls or smash a window in- and would play a huge risk unless he knew that Valera had held those keys himself.

But the risk had paid off. Crux now held the keys, and nowhere was safe anymore. My cleaver that had evoked such great confidence within me now felt heavy and useless as I pictured my sadistic friend pointing his silver crossbow filled with stakes towards me.

'_No where is safe anymore_,' my eyes dart to the window. '_Do I leave? Do I stay? What do I do? What do I do?!_'

Then there's a scream. And the alarm sounds. As my eyes dart towards the door, I can hear the sounds of Lola shrieking, Hendrix roaring- but it's what comes next that will make my internal organs simultaneously shrink and my hands quake in terror.

Terrible, psychotic laughter in the dark, as something whistles through the air and Lola and Hendrix's cries both fall silent – and the alarm blasts out twice more. The male hyena's scream of laughter is inhuman and I begin to heave and rock backwards and forwards on the floor in fear.

'_Crux._'


	12. Dismantled Friendship

**A/N: **It's sad how attached I've become to my characters- and yet how willingly I can and will kill them off, one by one. Luckily I get to keep one... which one will it be?

**The Trial Games.**

His footsteps that echo within the hall outside make my head pound harder and faster with each approaching footstep. My body is shivering and my heart palpitating so much that I feel I'm about to faint at any given second.

'_He doesn't know I'm here,_' I try to soothe myself. '_He doesn't know I'm here, h-he was killing Valera... there's no way he could've seen me during that time frame..._'

I don't know that. This isn't the boy I used to know, the Crux I'd hear sneaking up on me of a morning. That boy doesn't exist in this arena. Instead, he's a twisted, murderous killer- hiding behind the face of the boy I once loved like a brother.

"Little girl..."

The gasp slips from my throat before I can stop it. I press my free hand so hard into my mouth my teeth begin to ache from the applied pressure. My other hand grips the handle of my new cleaver so tightly that my nails begin to fold against the wood.

Terror has filled every inch of my battered body. The previous drizzle has begun to pour down outside with such ferocity that I can barely recognise it as rain. And then the thunder roars, and I yelp, covering my head with my arms.

It's too much. This is too much for me to bear. All of my natural instincts are telling me to get up, to run for the window and escape before Crux finds me. But my legs don't move, and my body remains sitting and shaking against the cold linoleum floor as his footsteps travel down the hall outside.

"Little girl, little Maya..." Crux's chortle is soft, but poisonous. "Why are you hiding from me...? It's Crux, your friend _remember_...?"

Summoning all my mental strength, I manage to make my body lurch forwards out of its slump and front first onto the cold infirmary floor. I silently scrape my way towards the window, but it feels like a dream where I'm unable to run because the sheets are draped over my legs.  
Only this isn't a dream, and my legs are free to catch upon nothing but my own terror.

"I'm going to _find you_!" a door around the corner bangs open as it's kicked open. "What do I have to do to make you come out and say _hello_...?"

My arms shakily reach out and pull myself further along. I wish my legs were responding to my will, because as each door bangs open- I know Crux is getting closer and closer to my room. The door of the room across the hall makes an audible splinter as I can hear his foot go clear through the wood.

-suddenly my legs shake, and I begin to pull myself to my feet. The wind outside is almost cyclonic, and my hair whips about as I mentally prepare myself for the climb that's before me. I'm not going to make it. I know I'm not. I'll be halfway out this window by the time Crux kicks open the door- and he'll fire. And I'll die.

...or... I can go down fighting. There's no way I'll win, but I can at least give the Mayans a show for the present they gave me. That's what they want... isn't it? They want a blood bath... and between two old friends... what a better way to send me off?

'_...but... attack Crux...?_'

I had swung the lunch box at him, but only so I could get away. I didn't want to kill him, not in the slightest. The footsteps have stopped outside the infirmary, and even though I'm sad that Crux has killed so many people... he's still the boy I was friends with for so long... I can't kill him... I can't hurt him...

'_I know I should... but... I can't do that... even... even to him..._'

I've made up my mind. I grip the cleaver and face the window. The thunder rumbles in apology and the lightning flashes once more as the door outside begins to jolt from the exterior force. I exhale deeply and grip the handle of the cleaver tightly.

The door crashes open and there's a loud solitary laugh from the doorway as the wood clatters to the ground. I close my eyes, and turn.

Crux's face is illuminated from the occasional flashes of lightning outside. He's still as handsome as he had been before, but his smile is psychotic. His body is drenched from the rain outside, but it is blood that is splattered across his face and hands. We lock eyes, and his grin stretches like the Cheshire cat's.

"_There _you are," he looks beside himself with joy. "You've been _very _hard to find Maya... I've been looking ever-y-where~e"

The crossbow gleams painfully within his arms, cradled like I did my cleaver. Our eyes lock, and a tiny smile manages to twinge across my lips.

"I-I've been watching you..." my head jerks nervously in the direction of the whiteboard. "You... You... you've been up to a lot... huh?"

"Yeah," Crux smiles arrogantly, similar to how he would back home. "It's nothing really... it's just my calling I guess, I just never had a chance to realise it before now."

"...that's good..."

I had been hoping there'd be a shred of the old Crux left. Perhaps if there was, I wouldn't have to die now. I'd live on, and find Holden- and we could all be together again somehow. But the grinning hunter before me, though he looks so much like Crux- shows nothing of the boy I thought I knew.

"You impressed?" he cocks an eyebrow, jiggling the crossbow in his arms. "I haven't lost a single stake- kept 'em all... yeah?"

"Y-Yeah," I force a smile, but I know it's a grimace. "Th-That's really good..."

Suddenly, his brash demeanour vanishes and is replaced with a deadpan stare. His eyes part from mine and focus onto the cleaver for a moment- before flashing the psychotic grin back up at me once more.

"-you been killing Maya?" Crux's head tilts. "How many? How many?"

I can't speak. Instead, I just shake my head frantically- which sends Crux into hysterics. He clutches his stomach with one hand as he looks up at me with eyes filled with tears of laughter.

"You're a riot Maya," His voice is like a hiss when he's breathless. "Can't kill anyone? Why are you holding it now then? Going to start with me?"

Again, I shake my head with such force that my hair lashes my face. Crux's smirk disappears again and is replaced with an annoyed frown.

"Why Maya... why are you making this so hard?" I look up; doubling back to notice he's staring at his feet. "You know what situation we're in... I know that when I heard about all this, I thought _no_, I thought, _I won't kill anyone... I just want to keep her safe_... You know who I'm talking about Maya?"

I can't talk. My voice is caught in my throat and Crux's dead-eyed stare is scaring me. His emotions are changing faster than I can keep up with. Instead Crux takes a step forwards, and I find myself backing into the open window.

"I thought... I'll stick close to her, stop the psycho's from touching her..." Crux smiles absent-mindedly. "...but then I remembered... why should I? She never noticed how I felt before, why should I help her now? She doesn't _deserve _to be safe... you know?"

Oh god. Oh god, oh no- no, no, no. The cleaver slips from my grip and clatters to the ground as Crux steps forward again, and I press myself harder into the wall.  
Why... why this? He continues to close in, the crossbow inching nearer and nearer to my chest as his breath becomes heavy.

"So I decided on the field... _fuck _her... let her die, in fact- kill her- kill her at first chance you get Crux," Crux's eyes are no longer dead, but wild with his insanity. "-but I couldn't, and _you _ran like Bambi when I tried to... and I fell in love..."

He steps forwards, and at the same time- dropping the crossbow to the ground by my cleaver. He looks at me, and I'm frightened by how normal he suddenly seems, smiling gently with eyes softly glinting in the shadows.

"All-"

His hands reach forward and take hold of my shoulders. I swallow.

"-Over-"

My heart pounds against my ribcage as our bodies are pulled closer together by his grip. He leans in closer and his breath, strangely soft whispers-

"-Again."

Tears form in the corner of my eyes when our lips touch. His eyes are closed, and his touch is so gentle and soft it's not even slightly threatening. But I'm so scared in this moment; I can barely breathe as his tongue parts my lips and successfully steal my first kiss. The kiss I had been saving. As I feel his tongue explore the inside of my mouth, a whimper escapes me before I can stop it.

"_Holden_."

It was a terrible mistake. The grip tightens, our lips part and Crux is angrier than I have ever seen him before in my entire life. Terror overwhelms me as his body and his strength seems to rise from its very core.

"-not just for one minute-" his body quakes with anger. "-no, not just for a _second_... why... is it always- _HOLDEN!?_"

I yelp as Crux hurls me to the ground. Before I can scramble upright I'm slammed onto my back as he grabs me by the shoulders, pinning my legs down with his.

"I-I'm sorry-" I manage to cry through the pain. "Crux I didn't know-"

"I've loved you for _as long _as I can remember Maya-" he hisses furiously. "-you _never _noticed, you _never _took enough time to realise..."

"C-Crux-" I whimper as his grip crushes my arms. "Y-You're hurting me-"

"Good," Crux breathes, his eyes glancing over me. "-because I don't care... you never cared how I felt Maya... so I don't need to care how you feel..."

More than anything that's happened since the games began; these words terrified me the most. His eyes canvass across my body, my blouse and skirt- and I can tell that he's just made a decision that makes my blood run cold. The psychotic grin is back, and within a second I'm slammed against the sick bed and held there with all his strength as I desperately thrash and scream with all my might.

"-When we're done-" he breathes, teeth bared and saliva dripping. "-if you've changed your mind... I'll let you live... Maya..."

With those words, my cries were silenced as his lips were roughly crushed against mine- and my worst nightmare was realised as Crux, my... oldest friend, proceeded to have his way as I slowly gave up the fight and lay still beneath him; all while the tears continued to fall.

These games weren't just filled with murder anymore for me. They were filled with distrust, insanity- and, what I'd remember especially... the complete dismantling of friendships once thought strong and unbreakable.

'_Crux..._'


	13. The Morning After

**A/N: **I don't know exactly why, but I don't hate any of the characters I've concocted thus far. I'm so glad that you all are enjoying this fan fiction. You're all very wonderful. xx  
-this one isn't that action-packed, but we're drawing closer to the end. Hang tight!

**The Trial Games.**

What made the entire night even more agonising was how gently Crux held onto me as he slept afterwards. I vaguely remember drifting in and out of sleep, but never long enough to escape the numbing pain I had endured and the throbbing ache of my heart against my ribs.

I want to hate him. The voice that rules my mind snarls and hisses for Crux's blood. Even though I'm terrified of him, that psychotic stare and the twisted, pointed smile that had pierced the darkness last night- behind all that is the faint shreds of friendship I'm desperately trying to keep holding onto.

I'm absolutely humiliated. I hadn't realised until the morning light began to creep through the broken window that the entire ordeal had been _recorded _and _watched _by not only the Gamemakers, but my sponsors, the other sponsors, the president- and most likely my parents. They had all seen Crux shove me to the bed and heard the yelps and cries into the darkness, and that single thought angers me more than what Crux had done.

My virginity, taken in front of an audience. _They _are who I want to kill. Not only did they organise a game for _children _kill each other in an arena where only one could survive- they did nothing but watch as one tribute forced himself onto another. They probably watched and thought of it as "good television".

I glance sideways at Crux, and I unconsciously bite my lip as I watch his peaceful, sleeping face. If it weren't for the specks of blood staining his generally fine complexion- one wouldn't dream of him killing anyone. But he had, I knew he had, and I need to leave while I still had the chance before I was added to his score of ten.

Somehow, slipping out of his gentle hold is the easiest part. I clutch my tattered blouse to my skin, knowing that there is no way this will hold against the cold morning air outside. I'd have to find another one, and I already know that the only way to do that would be to take one from an already dead tribute.

As I pick up my cleaver, my hand hovers over Crux's crossbow and I consider taking it. Without it, he won't be able to kill for a while- and I won't have to worry about him for a little while. But as my hand fumbles a few of the stakes, I can hear Crux murmur, and I know I can't do it. I shove several of the stakes into my skirt pocket and walk through the broken doorway, giving him one last glance before I leave.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper, hoping that perhaps in his dreams he can hear my words. "I never knew... I'm so sorry Crux..."

The halls are cold from the morning air that has seeped into the canteen. My hunger has vanished from the night's impact- but as I pass an open door, the smell of food wafts over me and I inspect inside. I'm lucky, as I had found the food supply room- most likely where Lola and Tilly had been living these past few days. There's a small school backpack on the counter, which is surprisingly emptied of all but a water bottle.

I'm quick to fill the bag with supplies. I don't take any of the packets of chips, knowing that their noise would risk my life- leaving too much opportunity for death. Instead, I take as many pre-made sandwiches as I can, as well as filling the water bottle to the brim as I shove it alongside the six sandwiches that could fit.

This would last me a while. I take a few seconds to admire my survival pack before swinging it across my back and silently tiptoeing my way through the front door to the grounds beyond.

I'm met by the corpses outside. It's worse than I could have imagined- as just by looking at their bodies I can already picture their dying moments.  
Tilly must have been shot before they realised Crux was nearby- because there is a hole straight through her neck. Lola is sprawled; face down across the ground beside her friend. Though I hadn't liked either of them, I couldn't help but feel sorry for their dying moments. They had remained friends to the very end.

-but it's Hendrix's body that saddens me most. He was the oldest in the arena, aside from Valera. He's slumped upright against the outer wall of the canteen, his head bowed. I can see the blood trail down his cheek, and I finally recognise the gaping hole where his left eye had been punctured. Those boys had been right, Crux's aim was frightening.

Hendrix would have died seconds after his sister- and even that would have been mortifying. He had always loved her, and I used to be envious of how he would hold her hand around the school. He was well liked around the District- he was strong, helpful and generous- but slumped here against the wall... he looked so insignificant and powerless.

It's now I realise that I'm wasting precious time, and that I have to do what I had planned. Kneeling beside Hendrix, I desperately try to ignore the fleshy, gaping hole in his face as I beg myself for forgiveness for what I am to do.

His uniform is loose on me, but I have no right or time complain. His body falls sideways to the grass and lies still. I button it up as quickly as possible- even though my inner monologue is screaming obscenities for daring to be as idiotic as to have modesty in a time like this.

'_People just saw you lose your bloody virginity- now you're worried about them seeing you naked?_' the voice is hysteric as it screams. '_You're an idiot Maya! A fucking IDIOT! Just get running-_'

"Shut up." I hiss, before I can even stop myself. "Just, shut up."

The voice falls silent, and I breathe deeply into my lungs and sprint towards the block I had encountered Cisqua in. I had little reason to worry about being seen, as the morning sun hadn't risen yet- and there was only seven more tributes left besides me. I had my cleaver in my sweaty hand, and even though I wouldn't kill- I know I could knock someone away if I had to.

-because somehow, I know the end of the games is near There are only eight of us left, two of which are certified to be capable of murder. By tomorrow, the winner is bound to be known. Whether or not it'll be me, I'm still not sure of. I don't care about winning. All I want is to find Holden. I don't even know what will happen if I find him, all I know is that I _need _to find him.

The block I reach is cold, and decidedly empty. I can't hear anything, and there's no sign of movement. The centre garden doesn't even sway from the non-existent breeze, and as I circle the perimeter, I verify that there aren't any stowaways.  
Part of me had wanted to find Cisqua, still hiding in the bushes- but I guess she has long moved on by now. I wonder if she used Crux's diversion to make a break for the performance hall. Perhaps I won't get to find out.

'_You're wasting time,_' the voice spits at me. '_-run, run for the damn Performance Hall or DIE_'

"-Be quiet-"

I freeze, suddenly realising what I'm doing. Why am I talking to myself like this? There's no time for insanity- I really do have to run for that hall, or else the sun will rise and I'll never make it. Crux wouldn't stay asleep for long- and once he wakes up and realises I'm gone, I'm done for.

My legs are surprisingly steady as I approach the exit facing the Performance hall. I bite my lip as I realise that to reach the Hall, I need to run through the quadrangle battle pit. I can't see any movement, but I can't see much at all in this light.

Somewhere, out there in the darkness, Sin and Recklo wait, or even Cisqua, Holden, Boxen and Adelaide perhaps. The bell hadn't rung last night, so all of them were still out there. I find it a little strange that there haven't been any murders since last night. The Gamemakers must be growing bored.

I finally decide that I can't run that distance alone. Though every part of me _yearns _to reach the Performance Hall- there's a slim chance that Holden and his group has moved on from there. If I was to bolt across now- that would leave me at a stand-still, at the mercy of Sin and Recklo who haunt the quadrangle.

Suddenly, the bell chimes- and I mistake it for an alarm. But it's not an alarm. It's more of a musical chime than the standard scream of the death toll. I retreat into the middle of the block as a horrifyingly familiar voice rings out across the school yard.

"Good morning students! I know you've been working hard..."

The President. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just from hearing his silver toned voice- and the pits of my stomach boil with hatred. I hold my breath, wondering what on earth was so important if he was interrupting the blood fest.

"-there's a bit of a slump in your work- so we've come up with a _school function_..."

I twitch. School function? What on earth could he be talking about? I grip my cleaver tighter, anticipating anything from his words to leap out and attack me.

"-right now, at the Cornucopia there is _exactly _what you need... we have the medicine, _that weapon_, and _your _chance to finally catch who you've been chasing..."

What? What did he say? My heart palpitates at these words, as I imagine Holden. The President is addressing me. He knows what I've been doing this entire time?

"You will all comply, even though I can see some of you are reluctant to move- because your shelters will not be so accommodating should you wish to remain put... I am sure you will be attending."

The musical chime starts up once more, and the air is dead with the silence. While I am still baffled over what the President has just said, the low rumble answers my worst fears.

Earthquake.


	14. Disgusting Creatures

**A/N: **I'm already planning my next Hunger Games fiction. I'll miss Maya, Crux and Holden- but I knew from the beginning I'd have to say goodbye. I just wish I could've written them a happier life.  
Thanks for reading my writing. I appreciate it greatly! xx

**The Trial Games.**

It's like the earth is screaming in pain. The walls that surround me shake and rumble with such ferocity I stop breathing in the panic. Bricks are crumbling away and roof tiles are falling and shattering and I can feel their shrapnel slicing my legs from metres away.

_I have to get out of here!_

Running as fast as I possibly can, I barely make it through the block's entranceway before it crumbles inwardly on itself. The earthquake is of such intensity that the block foundations are sinking into the newly softened ground; the walls are collapsing on themselves. As I pelt away, my legs aching and stinging, I can already see two others appearing in the corner of my left eye. Upon realising who they are, I immediately want to hide- but they haven't taken any notice of me- so I stand out of harm's way of being crushed by debris and watch the scene unfold.

Sin and Recklo look triumphant in this time of chaos. Recklo is shouting and pointing at something as they run towards the Cornucopia- and all I can hear across the distance and through the earth's screams is "-there-!" Sin says nothing; he just bares his teeth in an animalistic grin, gripping the baseball bat I recognised as the instrument of Cobalt's death.

They're the only ones who have made it so close to the Cornucopia, and I feel a pang of disappointment as I see the table laden with a clean white linen cloth and several blurry items I can't recognise. Where is Holden? Where are Cisqua, Adelaide, and Boxen... and was Crux still in the infirmary? There's no way of knowing right now. No one's died...  
I wish I could know where everyone was. Slowly the rumbling begins to die down, and my hearing returns in full volume.

Sin's reached the table, and he's shouting. "Fuck yes!" I think he's roaring. I try to squint, but all I can see is a mechanical device that looks terribly familiar.

-then my blood runs cold. I recognise that form. It's identical to the one I had been so close to taking away from Crux- and Sin's waving it in the air like he's won the lottery. And my skin is crawling like I'm on fire.

Sin has a crossbow.

That was what they had wanted. They were all furious that Crux had the upper hand, which was certainly true- as Crux was the only tribute with ten kills to his name so far. The Gamemakers had listened, and had decided that it would be interesting to have twice as much airborne stakes taking lives.

I'm mortified as he throws the baseball bat to Recklo. They share a curt handshake before turning away from one another and staring into the distance- awaiting the remaining tributes to approach the field. From the way it's glinting in the sun, this crossbow is solid silver. Crux's crossbow was made of wood and wire.  
My cleaver suddenly feels very useless and heavy in my hands. I have several metal stakes in my pocket that I had taken from Crux- but what good are they, or my backpack for that matter? Sin and Recklo are going to wait for the others to unwittingly come into plain view- where they can either shoot them or beat them to death.

'_-run, run away from here while you still can_.' The voice whispers. '_You can hide in the remains of the block, go now-!_'

"I can't do that," I whisper, panicking under the pressure. "-b-but what can I do? If Holden doesn't know that they're waiting there... he'll get killed for sure..."

The medicine on the table has to be what Holden is after. Adelaide had looked fairly roughed up when I saw her on the screen- and with only Holden and Boxen protecting her, she probably had only survived this long because of them. Being the big brother he is he's bound to come running out- spirits high, completely ignorant to the danger he was running into...

I have to stop him before he makes that mistake. The Gamemakers had promised this would be my chance to find the person I had been chasing- but I can't squander this chance away at the risk of his life. This is my chance to save him.

Then I hear it, the sound of footsteps, and hurried shouting. My heart leaps as I turn to my right- and see two figures running out towards the field. _Wait_, I just stop myself from shouting out his name. It isn't Holden.

It's Boxen and Cisqua. Strangely, Cisqua's red hair has been cropped even shorter from its previous shoulder length- and Boxen is carrying my old forgotten tin lunch box. I take a moment before I realise that they're probably here on Holden's behalf. Cisqua must have teamed up with them.  
That means I need to warn _them_. I can already see Recklo's shoulders stiffening as he begins to recognise the sounds of approaching tributes. He hasn't seen them yet. There's a block obscuring them. I take my chance.

"STOP RUNNING!" my voice is hoarse. "CISQUA! CISQUA! THEY'VE GOT A CROSSBOW-!"

-they're not stopping, they can't hear me! Cisqua disappears out of sight behind a collapsed block, but Boxen bursts back into view. I jerk forwards in horror as Sin spins around, aims- and fires. I shrink backwards on instinct.

But Boxen doesn't fall back. The stake didn't hit its mark. I can hear Sin curse as Boxen is nearing the table, just metres away from the duo- and Sin aims again. I can hear the whistle through the air as it completely misses its target once again.  
Sin isn't like Crux. His aim is poor in comparison to him. Crux was shooting people through their eye-sockets from thirty paces. Sin is ten feet away, and can't land a hit.

I hold my breath as Boxen swipes at a tiny white backpack- YES. He's grabbed it in his left hand. Recklo dives forwards with the bat, but Boxen swings the little lunchbox and hits him in the face- sending Recklo stumbling backwards but dropping the tin box during the process.  
Then he turns, and starts running back. An overwhelming sense of happiness is enveloping me- because if I follow them back to their hide-out, I'll find Holden for sure.

He's halfway back to the block- and Cisqua is back into view. She's running towards him, and saying something... shouting... "-move-!"...? I squint to gain a better view- only to scrunch my eyes shut in horror.

Boxen topples forwards, and Cisqua _just _evades his body. He's not dead, and starts clawing the ground before him as the silver stake sticks into his right shoulder. I hear a cheer from Sin, who is brandishing the crossbow and shaking Recklo eagerly.  
My eyes dart back to Cisqua, and I immediately notice that she's panicking. Boxen is grappling for her ankles, and seems to be crying something. I watch in shock as she tries to kick him away- tugging the backpack out of his arms as she screams "-get away-!"

I don't believe it. Cisqua is going to ditch him like she did with Sparkle. Boxen isn't even badly injured- he's just scared! My body shakes, a mix of disgust and revulsion filling every inch of my being as Cisqua pulls her legs free of Boxen's dying grip.  
There's no way I can stand this. I thought she was decent, that she'd be a reliable team mate. That the Sparkle incident was just because of the fear Cisqua had been feeling.

She's turning to run. Boxen grabs her ankle one more time, and as she tries to yank free once more I scream at the top of my lungs.

"-DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE HIM-!"

Cisqua freezes, but it's not because of my scream. There's a hoarse shout from the field, and my attention snaps back- just in time to see the silver crossbow clatter to the grass and Sin scream as a silver stake has dug itself into the back of his left hand.

_Oh my god._

Crux looks beside himself with rage. As Sin stares at him in shock- I can hear with perfectly clarity as Crux roars.

"-GET OUT OF HERE- BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!"

Sin doesn't need to be told twice. Nursing his bleeding hand, he runs- and doesn't look back as Recklo tries to scramble to his feet to follow. Crux doesn't pay him any attention, and instead- looks up as Cisqua who, fifteen or so metres away- shakily looks at him as Boxen continues to cry out in pain.  
I can hear everything. I'm stunned by my own ability as I watch the scene unfold.

"Kill him."

"-What-?"

Crux picks up Recklo's bat, with little resistance. Recklo sits on his ass, staring up at Crux in fear. All traces of his murderous side were long diminished in sight of his new child-like fear. He was like an oversized toddler, gaping and trembling in fear. The bat soars through the air as Crux throws it to Cisqua, who picks it up- trembling.

"Kill Boxen," Crux orders, "Do it now."

I gape. Crux can't be serious, can he? Cisqua stares at him, then at the sobbing, pained figure at her feet. I can see her knuckles go white as she squeezes the bat nervously.

"-if I do... will you team up with me?"

_What?!_ Cisqua? What are you saying?

"...we'll see."

Her face contorts. Without another word, she raises the bat above her head- and I can do nothing but watch in shock as she brings it crashing down upon her comrade's skull.  
Blood spurts up at her, showering her front as Boxen's body lays limp- and his alarm rings. But she doesn't stop- and she continues smashing into the boy who she had just run alongside as the alarm cries out.

I'm going to be sick. The bile pushes into my mouth, and I cough and splutter as it falls down the front of my blouse. Cisqua looks up at Crux for approval.

"-is that all?"

"No," Crux nods at his feet, "This one too."

Recklo's shoulders shoot up- but as he tries to scramble backwards Crux grabs him by the collar. He's not even fighting back, merely quaking in fear as the seventeen year old boy holds him steady- bearing no expression whatsoever.  
Cisqua approaches slowly. The bat is still dripping with Boxen's blood as she raises it again. Crux drops Recklo the field and steps backwards, and Cisqua swings.

The bile rises up again, but I'm fighting through the terror. The alarm rings out well before Cisqua stops- and by the time she does she's heaving and puffing as she looks up at Crux once more. The bat falls silently the ground as she smiles weakly up at him.

"I... I did it..."

How can I hear her murmurs? I'm strangely reminded of Crux's comment- how his eyesight is only matched by my hearing... perhaps it was a blessing in disguise...

"How pitiful..." Crux is looking down at Recklo's body.

"...so... we're allies?"

Her voice is hopeful. I can understand why she's edging for his partnership. Crux is the most fearsome competitor in this arena- aside from Sin. But when you watch Sin scuttle away from Crux- you know who's the more powerful.

"...why do you want me as an ally?"

I can _just _see her body stiffen. Cisqua takes time to answer him before her voice quivers in a hollow happy tone.

"-I-I've always... always liked you Crux... a-and this might be the last day I'm able to be with you..."

_What? _I can't look away now. Standing here, poorly concealed in the remains of a block's brick wall- I can see Crux stare as Cisqua steps closer towards him, arms shyly reaching out for his.

"-e-everyone trusts me, we could... could _kill _them all together..."

"...you like me...?"

Something inside me aches. I'm terrified of the idea that Cisqua and Crux would pair up and become a killing squad- but something else is hurting. Is it the distrust I feel that I almost partnered with this girl, so ready to turn against her friends? Or is it that she confessed her feelings to Crux...?

'_Don't let it sway you_.' the strict voice demands. '_You can't do this now._'

_But... do what...?_

Her arms wrap around the still boy, her head only reaching to his chin. She hugs him closely, her eyes closing as he relaxes and for the first time- I don't hear what she whispers.

-but I hear the scream that follows.

I shrink to my knees and grip the rubble as Cisqua, her arms still stiff around Crux's middle- chokes and begins to splutter. Crux shoves her back, and even with my terrible eyesight- I can see the silver stake glint in the sunlight from where it gouges her stomach.

"_Team up with you _Miss Class President?!" Crux screams with laughter. "-let _you _kill them?! That's a privilege _no one_ but I deserves!"

"-p-please!" Cisqua croaks, bent over on herself. "T-They all said you loved me... h-help me... I-I'll kill them... help you..."

"Oh no Miss President... I'm going to _enjoy_killing such a pitiful creature as you..." The hyena laugh melts into his frightening silver voice once more. "Look at your hands... covered in your blood..."

She crumbles to the ground, but the alarm isn't ringing. Tears creep down my cheeks as she continues to struggle against the pain- but I can see a terrible green yellow liquid spilling out onto her hands- which are coated with her precious blood. She's still whispering as Crux fiddles with his instrument of destruction.

"-enjoy this moment Miss President... it's your final moment on earth... and your family's. They deserve it... for raising such a disgusting creature as their daughter."

He slowly brings the crossbow down to her face, but reconsiders. Instead- he kneels down and points it into her chest.

"See you."

Her body jerks backwards, the alarm rings out- and I allow myself one audible sob as Crux pulls his stakes from her still bleeding corpse.

-and then there were five.

Five disgusting creatures left in the arena.


	15. Finding Holden

**A/N: **it's nice to get back into the updating swing of things in the New Year. Hopefully this will be finished by the end of the week. _Hopefully_. I don't know how fast these kids can be.  
Thank you again for reading. May life smile on you. x

**The Trial Games.**

I don't know where Crux left so rashly for, and a tiny part of me wanted to make myself known to him. Luckily I drowned that small piece of myself out- because I knew, and as did the rational voice that now dominated my head, that isn't what I truly want.

Quite a lot of time passes before I even risk standing up from the rubble. My legs still quake, and combined with the overpowering smell of vomit that soaks the front of my blouse almost sends me shrinking back to the ground.  
I'm formulating a plan. I saw the direction that Boxen and Cisqua ran from, and it was definitely the performance hall. I'll head there.

-but there's one thing I need to check first. The table may be wiped bare, the steel crossbow now forgotten in the grass- but by Boxen's beaten and bloated corpse- I can still see the little white bag he had risked and lost his life for.

There's no movement in my line of sight, ahead or behind me- so I run to Boxen without further hesitation. I'm not prepared for the state of his body however, with his teeth broken on the ground around his head, his eyes bulging and staring. Forcing myself to look away, I pull the bag from his grip and look inside.

It's a bottle, about the size of my fist. Its contents are deep green and the label reads "Drink it all, Cure It All". I recognise it, vaguely- as a _very _expensive treatment in the Capitol for basic ailments. Wounds, burns, colds- basically anything. No one in District Thirteen ever bought it. A strange curiosity fills me as to what luck it wasn't broken from Cisqua's assault with the bat- but the inner voice pushes it aside.  
There isn't time for curiosity. This is what Holden wanted Boxen and Cisqua to retrieve for them. I can use it to show my allegiance, to show that I don't want to hurt him- or his sister.

-then something moves to my left, and I barely have time to register this as something silver streaks past my right ear. My neck snaps upwards as I see the broad shouldered figure of Sin, clutching the crossbow that had been abandoned on the ground- aiming it once more.

"-I DON'T MISS TWICE-!"

Even though I had seen him miss multiple times only moments before, my gut still lurched from this threat. I duck instinctively as another stake whistles over the top of my head- and run. Sin's curses flood my ears and one more stake pierces the air inches to my left.  
Thank god he isn't Crux- or I would be facing a fate similar to so many others in this arena. Sin's aim is thankfully poor- and confidence fills me as the adrenaline pumps back through my body, replacing the fear.

I'm going to make it. There's a block I can disappear around just ahead, and from there I can have a clear run of the performance hall. Sin's curses are growing more and more distant with each long bound. My body is numb from aching- it almost feels as though I'm gliding.

Then another whistle- and sudden pain enters in my right shoulder. I scream without processing it, and the world shakes and my body and legs tremble in shock as something sickly warm begins to slowly trickle down my arm and soak into my blouse.

'_This is nothing_,' the voice calls. '_Keep running, or the next one that lands will kill you._'

Nodding, I push through the pain, which certainly doesn't feel like nothing. Sin is still shouting obscenities- and it seems he's at a loss for stakes. As I round the corner of the block and into brief safety- I slump to the ground and take several gulps of air through the searing pain.

My fingers tremble as reach over my shoulder for the stake. Sure enough, my fingers find it- and just by nudging it the pain triples, and I openly cry from its effect.  
Wrapping my fingers around it takes a considerable amount of effort- and as I pull it free I'm horrified as the blood flows faster. My right arm feels numb and my body feels heavy just from sitting upright.

I'm dying. I'm going to die from such a meagre wound. I almost feel regret from being killed by Sin. Of all the tributes here, I thought I'd die by Crux's hands. Somehow, something inside me had spurned me on- saying that I was going to make it to the end with Holden... that this would all work out one way or another...

Holden...

-then I remember the white bag, and the little bottle of 'Cure it All'. Would it stop bleeding wounds? I'd seen more spectacular things come out of the Capitol- why shouldn't it? It's not like I'd be able to bring it to Holden anyway if I don't try...

My vision is weakening as I fumble with the bottle. The cap pops off and the liquid inside smells oddly of detergent. Raising it to my lips- I force it down, gulping three mouthfuls of the disgusting medicine. The now half empty bottle falls softly to the grass and I cough from drinking it all so fast.

...warmth floods my body from its inner core- to the extent that I feel a fire has been lit in the pits of my stomach. All the pain melts away into a warm, tingling sensation that pulls a moan from my lips. Even the ache in my legs and my inner thighs evaporates into what I could only describe as the most relaxing sensation I'd ever felt.

My shoulder no longer hurts or pains. On the contrary, it felt light- and flexible. I stand to my feet with a new ease that I haven't felt ever before in my life.

...but then, as quickly as the happiness had filled me- it drains out as I realise- _I've used the medicine Holden wanted_. Now I had nothing to present my loyalty but a half empty bottle. Just my life- which might not be worth much in a few hours time.

'_You have to find him- you're so close now Maya-_' the voice urges me. '_You haven't come this far to give up-_'

I can hear Sin's footsteps crunching around the corner, and I'm brought crashing back from my woes. How could I be so stupid? Of course Sin was going to follow his wounded prey. There's no time to make it all the way around the block before he sees me. He's going to shoot me, and with the wall as a guide- my head will be an easy target. As my hands grip my skirt- I instead find my hand wrapping around my cleaver.

My heartbeat stays, and I open my eyes slowly. The warmth that floods my fingertips suddenly floods over my entire body as I see Sin's arm come into view around the corner. I can hear the voice inside me whispering as my own voice is lost in its wake. The world goes blurry, and I can't feel anything anymore...

-And in my inhuman state, without consent- I lunge.

There's no time for him to prepare. The cleaver hacks into his lower arm, and the serrated edge catches on its flesh as I pull it free from the screaming warrior. It isn't deep, and I don't attack twice, instead running once more with the quadrangle in sight. No alarm rings, and as the world quakes around me I can hear Sin screaming bloody murder.

A sick sense of pride fills my chest. I saved myself, and now I will save Holden from this sickness of an arena. He's so close now- I know it. Together with him, we can fight our way to the future I had dreamed of. With the power I hold now... that I feel now... it's nothing short of _possible_.

Sure enough, I reach the edge of the quadrangle with no problems. Sin is far behind, still sporting his wound- weakened but not dying. If I'm going to make it to the Performance Hall, I need to make this concrete distance. The quadrangle almost the size of two football fields; much too large for any normal school in the Districts. Standing by the steps that lower into its premise- I inhale.

'_Run, run and don't stop running- even if you feel like you're going to hack up your guts... keep running... and don't stop..._'

-and I do.

The ground seems to pound back up at my feet as my refreshed body slowly begins to dwindle back into exhaustion. The performance hall still seems so far away, and the brick walls that surround me at all sides make me feel as if I really am trying to escape from the coliseum's arena. The cleaver swings faithfully at my side, and my pack hits my back reassuringly as I run.

'_This strength... what is it?_'

As the hall draws nearer, my heart pounds as I realise that I'm going to meet Holden. The boy I've been fighting for is so close now... the boy I love... all the horrors I've witnessed are worth it. All the terrible things I've caused were necessary to find him.

-The Hall's doors are a magnificent oak, unharmed by the earthquake- with the two masks of Drama smiling and weeping down at me. I tremble with excitement, fear and exhaustion as I gaze back at the long distance I traversed to finally reach this point. The quadrangle looks so simple now and not at all daunting from this side.

I push the doors open, and the sunlight fills the hall from where I stand. I can feel my breath escape me as the scented smell washes over me- so unlike any drama hall a regular school would cherish. This was like an ornate playhouse. As I slowly step inside- I can see the velvet curtains and rows of seats set to watch a great performance.

"Holden!" I cry into the shadowy darkness, tears welling in happiness. "Holden, where are you?!"

I can hear sharp breathing and a weak moan- and from its direction I can tell that they're hiding on the stage.

"-it's Maya!" I run into the middle aisle, and I stare up at the large and overpowering stage before me. "I'm here to protect you!"

At first I walk, but it breaks into a run. The anticipation is too much as I leap, full bound onto the stage- pulling myself up with my hands. I let the cleaver fall centre stage as I see the pair of legs clumsily hidden behind the curtain. My heart pounds and the voice whispers words of congratulations as I pull the curtain aside.

"-I know it's hard to trust me, but I've got food and-"

Adelaide's eyes look up at me- filled with tears- and I feel my insides turn to ash and my heart grow hollow. On the ground beside the burnt crying girl he lays. Weak, dying... the boy I love looks up at me with the faintest glimmer in his eyes I had yearned for this entire time.

"...Maya... take care of Adelaide..."

No. No it was supposed to be Adelaide who needed the medicine- not Holden. This is all wrong. My lip trembles and I fall to my knees- unable to contain my cries as he struggles to breathe.

_"This can't be!_"


	16. The Final Plan

**A/N: **wha-hoah! So close to finishing it's scary. Maya found Holden... aren't you happy? *cackle* *cackle* we were all hoping she would fall into his arms and they'd have a happy love scene. Pity, pity.  
Very close now. I'm still musing on how to end it all.

**The Trial Games.**

Once Adelaide explained the situation to me, I was exhausted from crying. Holden said nothing, but he would wearily open his eyes every now and again before slipping back into his painful slumber.

"I didn't know that he h-had... given all his portions to me... he h-hasn't eaten since we entered the arena..." Adelaide was having trouble speaking; the explosion from the start seemed to have permanently damaged her lungs. "-Boxen and Cisqua said t-they would get the medicine..."

I was so glad she didn't know the medicine came in the little white bag I was holding. While she had been explaining and through my tears, I had ransacked the little bag- and had been horrified to find that I hadn't picked the bottle up after I drank half of its contents. It probably still lay on the ground where I had attacked Sin.

"-I have food..." I push my survival pack towards her. "-and water... won't that help...?"

"We have water... but maybe some food will help him..." Adelaide struggled to tear a sandwich into smaller portions. She looked so tired and weak herself. "...I can't believe... there are only f-five of us left..."

I nod. I'd told her about Cisqua and Boxen's deaths, but I neglected to tell her that Cisqua had been the one to kill Boxen in a weak attempt to gain Crux's favour. Apparently the performance hall didn't receive the midnight transmissions of the dead. Boxen had been tallying the deaths by scratching them into the floorboard- about a metre away from where Holden lay. Seeing the scratches there reminded me that aside from his corpse, they were all there was left of Boxen.

I watch as Adelaide pushes a small piece of bread to Holden's lips. My heart aches as he weakly opens his mouth, barely chews- and swallows. He's never looked so pale as long as I've known him as he does now. I wish he would open his eyes. If it weren't for his chest moving, I'd wear he was dead.

"No one's come in here, a-aside from Cisqua..." Adelaide seems desperate to fill the silence. "...is there a-anyone who'll follow you here?"

"I don't know." I mumble, still staring as Holden's stomach loudly gurgles. "I don't know..."

But I do know. Neither Sin nor Crux would like me at this stage in the game. I had left Sin with a wound that certainly didn't tickle- and Crux was a complicated mess I didn't want to delve into. The fact that he harboured feelings for me still shocked and terrified me more than anything else I'd seen in the past few days. So instead of thinking about it, I just tell myself he hates me. It makes things easier.

"...you're so brave M-Miss Maya..." the young girl smiles at me and the corners of my mouth twitch. "-to struggle so hard to find my brother and I... thank you..."

"...Adelaide..."

Adelaide and I hadn't really spoken much back home in District 13. Whenever I visited Holden she would busy herself with other things to leave us alone. Crux used to call her 'mini-Maya'. Apparently I used to do that too whenever people visited my parents. He used to berate me with the story when he first visited with his father- I had apparently gone to such lengths to evade him he said it was like chasing a rabbit...

"-I'm sure if H-Holden gets better... we'll get out of here somehow..." Adelaide's voice is so hushed, I can hardly hear her. "...Cisqua said... maybe beyond the hall... there's an exit..."

These words were like lightning, flooding through my veins. My body snaps to attention and I suddenly wish that Cisqua were still alive so I could question this theory further.

"...there must be... there has to be an exit..."

"-what?" Adelaide looks at me in surprise. "M-Miss Maya-?"

I can barely contain my excitement; I'm trembling from just thinking about it. Cisqua really was a genius! I hadn't even considered running to the point of _leaving _the arena behind! Of _course _there's an end to the arena- there's no way this arena could go on forever.

Together, with Adelaide and Holden- we could escape. Sin and Crux could battle it out alone- but we could run, we could find freedom. And- and then...  
...I could find my happy ending. Holden and I... we could be together, forever.

'_...but first..._'

"-Adelaide, I'm going back out there."

Her sharp intake is enough of a response for me. I stand to my feet and carefully examine the two siblings I'm preparing to risk my life to salvage. With an eager smile that feels so extraordinary for this situation- I nod.

"-Holden's medicine is out there, I just have to go back and get it- I'll be back before even an hour passes." I shake out the stakes in my pocket and leave them beside Adelaide. "You can use them to cut up the sandwiches or the curtains to make blankets- just _don't make any noise_."

"-but M-Miss Maya-"

"-just Maya." I correct her. "Don't worry about me, I have my cleaver... and I'm doing this to protect you two... you're all I need."

She says nothing, but I can tell- behind those sad eyes, she understands me. Without any more words of protest from Adelaide, I jump off the stage and into the aisle, but not before giving her the most comforting smile I can muster.

"Be safe"

As I step into the cold night air, I can notice that not even the moon is shining tonight- everything is just _barely _visible. The world that stretches out before me is pitch black in texture- and I can hear nothing. Not even a leaf of a blade of grass rustles as I take off my shoes before climbing back into the quadrangle.  
The last thing I need is for my footsteps to give me away. My socks will silence the echo; at least enough so no one will hear me. As my feet touch the cool, concrete ground- I gently breathe in and smile as the voice whispers-

_ 'You can't fail. You haven't failed yet, you're not going to now-_'

-And I run. I feel like one of the crossbow's silver stakes, cutting through the air as it flies towards its ill fated target. This is one of the few times I've ever felt so sure about a choice, a decision. I was going to save Holden. No other cause could be more worthy than him. The medicine will cure him, and then we can run for the end, the end of this arena.

"..And... I can have my happy ending..."

Climbing back out of the quadrangle is difficult one handed, but somehow I manage to pull myself up onto the grass. I'm behind the block where I first met Cisqua, and the block where I slumped alongside and dropped the medicine is just beyond there.

My socks are drenched with the wet, muddy grass. I'm thankful, as I would rather risk the hypothermia than the tell tale crunch beneath my weight. I run my hand alongside the block's edge as I draw nearer and nearer to the spot I was looking for.

It's there. Glinting in the dullest, faintest way possible- I can just see the bottle. I practically dive for it- and hearing the soothing sound of liquid swilling about inside makes me laugh breathlessly in relief. Thank god! Thank god I found it!  
-I take no more time to dwell in my happiness, and I start running back, trying my best not to slip and spill the liquid. I want to dance, but instead my eyes brim with tears of joy.

Everything's finally working out. All the deaths that took place around me won't have been in vain. If Holden, Adelaide and I can make it out of here alive- at least we can live on and tell the world of their sacrifice. We were all part of a monstrous game that would have become a yearly event had it not been for our efforts... we'll be heroes... no, legends.

The quadrangle feels pleasantly warm in comparison to the grass. I'm skipping, and yet, not even realising it. We can leave all this behind. All of this horror and bloodshed. I can achieve my happy ending after all.

"-so why'd you let me live?"

-and I freeze. The voice is husky, like a dying animal... but I know who it is. Sin. I _just _manage to maintain a grip on the open bottle as someone speaks again- and I realise that I'm not the one being addressed here.

"You're the only real competition I have in this stupid arena... I'm saving you for... maybe third last."

There's laughter. Sin somehow found Crux's dark comment amusing. In the dark, I can only make out one figure, and their back is turned on me. Judging from the tall but muscular build- it's certainly Crux.

"-who are you saving for last Cruxie?" Sin taunts. "Your buddy Holden? He'd sure like that; he hasn't showed this entire game-"

"He's second last." Crux answers sharply. "His sister can die whenever, I don't care one way or the other about her... she should've been killed by that damn explosion anyway."

I edge away from the two, and I manage to get three metres away before I realise I need to start moving forwards again. If I stay still and stakes fly- I'm going to become an accidental target.

"...then it's Maya... you want to kill _Maya_ last."

"...perhaps, but I have better plans for Maya."

-I want to move. My legs tremble as I will them to go further, but my head and my heart aches as I wonder what on earth Crux is talking about. Fear fills me as my subconscious makes the decision to listen this conversation out.

"So what is it?" Sin asks in a drawl-like tone. "Going to rape her before you finish her off _lover boy_?"

The inner of my legs ache slightly just thinking of that night again. I can hear Crux breathe in deeply before a strange, daydream-ish like tone escapes him that I've never heard before.

"She's already mine... she just... doesn't know it yet..."

"Haa?" Sin sounds beside himself with amusement. "-so you've already done that huh? Should've known, after all the killing- you're bound to get _something_ done."

"I didn't mean to force her into it," Crux mutters. "-she just made me so pissed off, acting all timid... I lost it..."

I begin to tiptoe again. They're really wrapped up in this conversation- and I can't risk such an opportunity to get away. Hopefully they'll remain here in their little boys club until daybreak.

"-what's the deal with her anyway? Why her?"

"...I've loved her since I was six..."

-and I stop. My eyes are wide in the dark as I can hear Crux, stifling soft chuckles as he seems to affectionately recall our first meeting. I had never known he loved me... and I'd never known it'd been for so long...

"-she had been hiding behind her Dad's legs the whole time, and every time I caught her eye she looked away. It was kind of amusing- but I got sick of it really quickly." I can't believe it. His voice is so close to how it normally is. "So when she scuttled out of the room- I took off after her. She didn't hear me coming, so I dived on her- and she screamed so loud that I couldn't stop laughing."

I remember that. I remember feeling his little hands grab me from behind- covering my eyes and his surprisingly shrill voice screaming in my ears. I'd never been so terrified in my entire life... until this game...

"-but then she kept crying, and I couldn't make her stop. I apologised over and over, but she just kept on wailing and wailing- and finally I got really upset so I cried too. But the moment I did- she stopped, and then _she _started apologising! ...I've never been able to forget that..."

...oh my god... how can he remember all this? Has he been nurturing that moment his entire life... cradling his feelings... like I do with mine...?

"Heh, that's cute. Pity she's pretty much dead."

"-If you even _try _to take her life- I'll kill you on the spot."

"Why don't you just do so now?" Sin taunts. "I'm an easy target, I've got no stakes, and you've got 'em all."

"-it seems boring." Crux sighs. "I've killed enough people in the dark, and you're asking for it... I'd rather see your eye sockets bleeding down your face in the sunlight when I take your life..."

"Fair enough." Sin laughs, almost merrily.

-I'm not listening anymore. Tears creep down my face as I slowly continue to make my way, unnoticed to the Performance Hall. All my feelings of excitement from before have vanished- and in their wake, a new guilt weighs down my chest.

When Crux was talking, I felt as if- maybe, if I had known sooner... maybe the two of us together could've worked... his love was so much purer than mine. If we were back home, we'd probably get married as soon as we left school, he'd work in the reactor and I'd stay at home... Yet somehow this arena with its venomous grip on us all tainted that possible future.

My heart aches. I've had enough of all this. I have another future... one that actually has a chance.

I need to reach it.


	17. Theatre in Flames

**A/N: **closer and closer to the end of it all. I'm hoping my next story will have characters as entertaining as Maya, Crux and the rest.  
Here's Chocolate Milk wishing you a happy, lucky day!

**The Trial Games.**

"-I h-hope this is enough..." Adelaide looks disappointed that only half of the cure remains. "...what happened?"

"I... I was surprised, I almost ran into Crux and Sin." I lie. "I must have spilled it a little."

I couldn't bear to admit that I had drunk half the cure to save my own life- not when Holden's life is on the line like this. I just pray that what is left in the little bottle of Cure-it-All will be all that's needed, or else I'll never forgive myself.

Holden manages to drink the liquid without much trouble, but some of the green liquid spills from the corners of his mouth- and I'm finding myself wiping his face clean with my fingers. As strange as it seems, this pulls a smile from my hollowed state.  
This is the closest I've ever been to Holden, I guess. That hug didn't really count. This felt like a genuinely pure moment.

A few minutes pass, and his eyes flutter open- much to Adelaide and my excitement. Holden scrunches his face wearily and groans as he sits up from his place on the floor. Barely able to contain her happiness- Adelaide throws her arms around his middle and begins to cry his name into his chest. I breathe a shaky sigh of relief as Holden looks at me, obviously confused.

"...how... I thought I was dying-?"

"-M-Maya saved you-!" Adelaide cries, smiling through the stream of tears. "-you're okay- you're o-okay!"

She continues to babble and Holden smiles weakly. My own smile feels as though it's etched onto my face, as though it could never disappear. Seeing Holden rise from near-death gives me such hope, I know that today will be the last day in this wretched arena.  
That's when Holden's smile disappears. He looks around, and I can see his eyes fall upon Boxen's scratches in the dust before he turns back to us.

"-Adelaide, where's Boxen and Cisqua?"

-those simple words were all it took to make our smiles crumble. Adelaide looks down at her hands, still clenching his shirt, and mutters something in the silence. Holden instead looks to me, and I realise that I'm the bringer of bad news.

"...they're... dead Holden."

Silence. Oh please, please Holden, don't do this now. I watch as Holden's smile disappears and his mouth opens wordlessly. He'd really been out of it this whole time- hadn't he? Adelaide looks at me apologetically, and I feel the tiniest pang of annoyance that she made me the one to break his smile.

"...it's just us left isn't it?" Holden whispered, his body going rigid. "Oh god- we're the only contestants left...?"

"-no, that's not true." I reach out to touch him, but he recoils as my fingertips brush his arm. "-Crux and Sin are out there... but... we're going to escape"

My voice vanished into a whisper, and Holden looks at me with this surprised look that shows nothing but disbelief. Adelaide knots her hands nervously and looks from Holden to me repeatedly- and I have the strangest urge to tell her to leave the two of us alone.  
Escaping is the only chance we have. I have the strongest gut feeling inside that says I'm not capable of killing anyone else- and that sitting and waiting for morning will be welcoming Sin and Crux into the performance hall.

"...it's our only chance Holden; we three can escape the arena." I don't know why my mind is compelling me to whisper, but I know that _they're_ listening. "You have to trust me... it was Cisqua's plan..."

"Lot of good it did her." Holden's voice is half stunned, half angry. I shrink away as he seems to grow angrier. "-we're not moving from here Maya, we're safe here! We've been safe here the entire time-"

"-H-Holden, we can't stay here." Adelaide squeaks. "...they won't let us..."

"What are they going to do, come in here and threaten us to kill one another?" Holden looks at me incredulously, as if _I _had just spoken. "They can't do that. I'd kill _them_-"

"-that won't work!" I'm already at the end of my rope. I thought it would be easier than this. "Holden, they can cause an earthquake- who knows what else they can do-!"

"I can't risk Adelaide's life-!" Holden begins, eyes flaring. "-And I'm sure as hell not going to let you lure us to our freaking deaths-!"

"-Staying here is risking all our lives-!" I say frantically, completely unsure of why Holden was so angry. "We have to leave or we'll all be killed!"

"Then _you _can leave-!"

"Stop! Stop fighting!"

Little tears stream down Adelaide's face as she throws her arms around her brother. I shrink back from the two siblings as Holden's shoulders relax and he looks at his little sister in despair. He's so worried about her... yet all I can think of is how much I want to save him.

"...Maya... we have no weapons..." Holden mutters quietly, barely audible- even to me. "Adelaide and I aren't in any condition to fight... we can't possibly make it..."

"I'll protect you," I plead. "Holden, I'm... I'm your friend- and I've been fighting to find you this whole time and... I... I love you. I'll protect you both until the end no matter what."

He doesn't move, Adelaide continues to wail, and I realise how powerless I really am in this arena of nightmares. Here, in this moment- I'm just a teenage girl, who after confessing her one-sided love... realised how stupid it sounded... for some reason I believed that after I confessed, the world would be perfect. But now... it just feels awkward...

"...okay."

I look up, and his tired and weary eyes meet with mine. A small smile breaks across my face as Holden holds his sister tightly around her shoulders, nuzzling his nose into her hair as he shushes her to calm down.  
I'm envious that even in this time of need, even after I finally admitted my feelings to him outright- they're still the most important people in each other's lives. I was just a little voice of reason; telling them to run.

"Come on Adelaide, we have to go now-" Holden manages to pull the two of them to their feet, even though his legs quake beneath him from not standing for so long. "...lead the way Maya."

I nod, and with one swift motion- I pick up the stakes, the backpack and my cleaver- and the three of us slowly make our way across the stage. I can't help but cast one last look back at Boxen's tally marks as Holden helps Adelaide down from the stage. Each mark looks so small, and they all represent a person. A person I knew.  
It's in that moment I realise that I never really knew any of these people. Not even Holden or Crux... even Boxen, who leaned against the sliding loading entrance, scratching tallies into the floor...

As I climb down from the stage on my own, I hear Adelaide snivelling as Holden tries to pull her away from the little door under the stage. I pause as Holden looks at my confused face.

"She... she wants to say goodbye to Ruby." He says quietly.

Ruby. My eyes widen in surprise as I remember what I saw on the second night on the midnight broadcast. Ruby had been in Adelaide's year, but she had been killed. A sandbag I remember, looking up to the catwalk above the stage, had fallen and hit her. The little girl couldn't handle such a strike. It was far too deliberate to be an accident.

...of course they hadn't taken her body outside. I would have seen it. Holden and Boxen must have hidden her under the stage, out of sight so Adelaide wouldn't be forced to see her.

"...I don't know how much time we have left..." I mumble, unwilling to deny her request outright. "Just... be quick, okay?"

Nodding, Holden grasps the little handles and pulls. Adelaide scrambles close and another sob escapes her as what little light illuminates her friend's body.  
It was fortunate that Ruby died the way she did. There, under the stage, she looked as if she was sleeping. There was no bruise, no blood... her eyes were gently closed and her hands had been folded across her body.  
Adelaide began to cry openly once more, and as Holden and I stood by her shoulders and waited, I couldn't help but notice the peculiar smell that was filling the Performance Hall.

It wasn't the body decomposing... it was oddly familiar... like...

"-can you smell something?" I ask Holden, who has become strangely stiff.

He turns to me, and at once I know that something is terribly wrong. His eyes are wide; the blood runs from his face and his body trembles as he grabs Adelaide's shoulders and pulls her back from mourning.

"-we need to get out of here." Holden says suddenly. "Something's on fire."

I'm mortified as I recognise the smell. It's burning paint. District 13 regularly had poisonous toxins being let into the air due to the reactor- but this smell had taken a little while longer to recognise. Mainly because all the paint we use is highly flammable and someone always ends up dead.

"-RUN!"

Forgetting all fire safety measures we might have learned as children- Holden scoops the small Adelaide up in his arms and runs for the exit. It isn't until he goes to fling the door open that I realise that he's about to make a terrible mistake.

"-DON'T-!"

-he _just _stops in time, whirling around as I tug him backwards. Holden looks at me with panic in his eyes as I shake my head frantically.

"-this isn't a coincidence, this is a trap." I hiss as quickly as possible. "We need another exit- was there another exit?"

"No." Holden is beginning to lose control. "-can't you fight your way out of here? You have the cleaver-!"

"-against _two _crossbows?" I don't like disagreeing with Holden, but I'm as scared of death as he is. "No, we... we have to get back onto the stage- quickly."

"What?" Holden gapes as I begin my way back up at the aisle. "Are you _mad_- we'll be burned alive or suffocated-?!"

"-there's a loading entrance!"

I wish I had remembered sooner. Where Boxen had scratched his death count- the scrolling door entrance was just behind where he had sat. I climb onto the stage, my leg clipping the still open doors of Ruby's tomb as Holden carries Adelaide right behind.

"-it's locked Maya, we can't get out that way." Holden whispers as Adelaide finally stands back on her own feet. "We... we have to fight it out."

"Who _fucking_ cares about locks-"

'_Time for brutal destruction_.'

Holden and Adelaide scream as I swing the cleaver into the metal. It dents easily, and a tiny shaft of the morning light illuminates the dust that floats around us. I smash into it repeatedly, clenching my teeth as the noxious smoke begins to flood around us like sea water. I manage to get enough leeway to pull the top half of the doorway aside, and just like that- I leap with no hesitation onto the soaking wet grass below.

"-jump!" I hiss back up at Holden and Adelaide, who stare down at me in terror. "They're bound to have heard that-!"

For the first time, Adelaide looks brave. Pushing aside her hesitant brother, she leaps the two metres to the ground, her knees sinking into the mud beside me. Holden only takes another second before he realises that there is no time to waste- and jumps down, landing spectacularly on the balls of his feet.

"-now what?" Adelaide whispers timidly as sounds of the stage inside collapsing echo through the still dark morning.

"Now..." I look towards the sparse forest that lies beyond the burning performance hall.

"We run."


	18. No Escape

**A/N: **who _do you _think deserved to win the Trial Games? I'm interested in hearing who you might pick out of the twenty-four really should've won.  
Thank you for reading friends. Your support so far into this series has really helped me. xx

**The Trial Games.**

"Maya... we've been walking for h-hours..." Adelaide moans quietly. "Can't we rest...?"

"We can't risk it Adelaide," I growl from the overload of frustration. "Sin and Crux can't be far behind; we need to get as far away as possible."

"Don't be so cold to Adelaide Maya, she's only twelve," Holden says sternly. "-besides, that was over two hours ago, they're far away by now."

My heart aches as I watch Holden wrap a protective arm around his sister and tries to offer carrying her on his back. Our almost day-long walk had been entirely like this, with Adelaide crying for rest and me telling her we couldn't- only to be told off by Holden for being so short with her.  
I can't help it. I'm just as tired as she is, but I know that the arena has to stop sooner or later- and we can't risk staying inside its perimeters for one more night.

It also didn't help that at every step I was faced with Holden and Adelaide's sibling affection for one another. They were constantly reassuring each other that it'd all be okay, and that they'd find a nice place to live- a place far, far away from Panem.  
I feel so alone just watching them. Holden has said nothing about my weak confession back in the theatre- and I assume that could be his way of nicely showing that he doesn't return the feelings. I don't have anyone of my own to run away with. No family, siblings- or even friends anymore. Holden no longer felt like the boy I had walked to school with every morning. He was a stranger, angry and paranoid for his sister's protection.

'_You fought so hard to get here, just leave them,_' the inner voice snarls. '_Let them die here, you can escape- you can live, you can __**win**__..._'

I shake my head frantically, trying desperately to drown out that little voice. As we have been walking, the further away we become from the arena- the angrier and louder it has become. I am starting to become paranoid myself, as it has begun hissing ideas of murdering Holden and Adelaide, saying that they're ruining my efforts.  
What was more frightening is that every now and then- I found myself _listening _to the voices ideas... and then stopping in horror.

The voice has been my only constant 'companion' of sorts throughout this ordeal. It's given me encouragement, criticism that wasn't always appreciated- and more importantly, ideas. I hadn't really thought of it as dangerous in any way. It was just a little voice I had created to stake off loneliness, wasn't it?  
...but now... it was starting to scare me so much that I was keeping two metre distance between me and the two siblings. I walk behind them, looking over my shoulder every now and again- flinching at any sound that surrounds us.

I know it's just a voice, but something inside me is wary that it holds more power over me than I'm assuming. It may just be my imagination, but whenever the voice began to whisper hisses of killing Holden and Adelaide, my hand instinctively twitches towards the cleaver that is clumsily tied to my skirt.

"I think it's time we took a break, it's almost midday and we've been walking since after midnight."

I look up and catch Holden's expression. He isn't suggesting we take a break, he is _telling _me they were taking a break. I never saw this side of him back home. He had always been kind and friendly. Now he was cold and inexplicably angry at me for what seems to be no reason.  
I bite my lip as Adelaide slowly slumps to her knees and begins to cough, strangely quietly. Holden catches me eyeing her and furrows his eyebrows.

"-can you _stop _glaring? We'll get there okay?"

"I-I'm not glaring!" I'm shocked by his harsh tone. "I... Holden this is serious. Everyone's dead... _we'll _be dead if we don't take this seriously-"

"-who says we aren't taking it seriously?" Holden snaps, I instantly recoil a step back. "Just because we weren't out there in the 'action' like you were-"

"What..." I feel a curious anger begin to build up through the sadness. "...what do you mean by that?"

There's silence. Holden and I lock eyes, and I can feel my inner strength ebbing away from his angry gaze. I wish I could slip down into nothing to escape this glare, but all the fear, anger and upset is feeding the inner voice which starts up again... '_Ungrateful... these selfish... kill them-_'

"M-Maya...?" Adelaide squeaks. "I-Is your hand okay...?"

Adelaide's words confuse me, but as I look down- I'm horrified to see that my hand has, on its own accord, clenched tightly around the cleaver's handle and pulled it until the knot tying it to my skirt has strained.  
Panic spreads throughout my body. I'm really losing control of my actions- aren't I? Every time Holden says something against me, I can feel anger boiling over inside- and the suggestions to kill him grow stronger and stronger...

"...y-yeah, my hand's fine." I drop the cleaver and turn my head away from her, desperately hoping they didn't see the fear in my eyes. "I... I'm going to go see if there's any water nearby... the bottle's almost empty..."

There are no complaints to my leaving. Shaken and disappointed, and also feeling strangely humiliated- I quickly walk ahead, hoping neither of them can see how rattled I've grown in the past five minutes.

I know there's no water around here. The Gamemakers wouldn't have made water out here, because they certainly wouldn't have wanted the tributes travelling so far from their arena. Though, I'm curious if they've considered the possibility of the tributes escaping.  
Surely they had, and that's why they made this forest- isn't it? So we would assume that it was a symbolic sort of barrier? Even though it's a weak theory, it fits well in my mind. They couldn't have thought of everything.

The trees are growing sparser and fewer after only five minutes of walking. Hope and excitement begin to slowly flood my veins as I break into a slow run- my instincts telling me that the end was close. The forest was ending- I just know it. Through the trees I can see a meadow coming into view, and beyond that- mountains, as far as the eye can see.

_Yes! _A smile as wide as my face stretches across my lips. Cisqua was right! The arena _did _end! There _was _hope! I can hear the chatter of birds just ahead that I hadn't heard anywhere near the arena. It must be safe here for birds to be congregating.  
And the trees begin to part, and slowly the green pasture begins to smile at me in all its beauty. My breath slows and tears of joy begin to form as I reach forwards- almost to touch my freedom.

'_-STOP!_'

It goes blank, and suddenly I'm stumbling backwards without my legs accord- and I'm startled as a burning sensation sears up my arms. My breath is shallow, my heart is pounding and I can feel a surge of pain flood throughout my arteries. Startled, I look down at my hands and what I see frightens me so much I scream at the top of my lungs.

My fingertips are all but gone. The skin has been completely burned away, and I'm horrified to see the outline of my finger's bone prodding through the thin charred flesh. My scream echoes through the forest around as the birds on the other side of the invisible force field take flight, flying away into the mountain's embrace. I stare after them wildly, gazing at the invisible wall that had electrocuted me to the point of corroding my fingers off.  
They were beyond medical treatment. I can feel my entire body tremble in fear as what looks like ash crumbles from my fingertips.

"What- WHAT IS THIS?!"

'_...they thought ahead... you... STUPID... GIRL!_'

The shriek that escapes me is anything but human. My breath is ragged and like a hungry dogs as I stumble to my feet, unable to even look at my fingertips and I clutch my hand that throbs in pain around my cleaver.

"NO!" I scream into the vacancy. "I DON'T ACCEPT THIS! I DON'T ACCEPT THIS-!"

I swing the cleaver towards the barrier, and my intestines lurch as I'm thrown back with a force I've never felt before. Tears fly through the air as I thrash about in pain, screaming and crying my rejection, over and over again like a wounded animal.

'_-there's no way out of here Maya! If only you'd killed them when I told you to-!_'

The voice inside is slowly melting into my own voice of reason. The rage overflows and I can feel my heart pump so fast it feels like I'm about to explode. I stagger to my feet, my neck bent as I stare down at my fingertips. The panic and horror begins to melt away as the sanity I had been clinging so desperately to disappears into shards as I see bloodstained bone piercing through several of my fingertips.

"...I can't forgive them..." I whisper, breathless and stunned. "They need to die..."

A tiny laugh escapes my empty lungs, and as I turn back into the forest- I stare up into the sky as my body shakes as I scream with an inhuman laughter I could never call my own. My eyes burn wild as this strange horrific power floods me as I imagine the Gamemakers watching my desperation up until this point.

"-you hear me _Mister_ President?!" I laugh, reaching my charred skeletal hands upwards. "Even if I don't kill you- someone will, and _you'll die too_! You Gamemakers too! And in hell _we _are _all _going to kill _youu~_"

-and then I hear an alarm ring, and my moment of insanity breaks as I'm brought crashing back into reality. Who was that? Who just died? Who was that alarm for?! Was it Holden, Adelaide, Sin or Crux? Who _was it for!?_

_Oh my god_. Panic sweeps over me, a panic stronger than any I've felt in the arena. I'm really trapped in here. I'm really going to die. There's no escape, there's no way out. My strength fades, the pain multiples and the fear is of such ferocity that I'm too terrified to cry.

-what do I do? Someone, anyone- what am I supposed to do?!


	19. Happy Ending

**A/N: **...my dear friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the attention you've showed 'the Trial Games' and its participants. I'm honestly touched. I'm sure they are too.  
This may be the end of the games, but it is not the end of the story. No one ever really disappears after death... do they?

This is the last part of the trial, but I still have a little more to post, end results, the epilogue and such. This part is long, to do its ending justice. Bless you, and may your world be kind to your journey through life.  
Love, Daily.

**The Trial Games.**

My breath catches in my throat as I run, the oxygen around feels like ash in my windpipe. I cough, splutter, stumble- and then keep running as the process starts over again.

The bones that jut from the tips of my fingers are strangely sensitive as the wind cuts past. My cleaver still slices through the air in my clenched fist, and as I run- I know that this sprint will be the last. I'm certain this time. The panic and terror inside, built from the entirety of these games has reached its peak and the shaky adrenaline courses through my body.  
I'm running to my death. I'm sure of it. But there's nothing else I can do. There's no where to run. All I want is to know of Holden, Adelaide, Sin and Crux's fates. One of them is dead. Which one is it?

The voice is gone, vanished into the rifts of my mind- along with the calm sanity I had managed to keep stable these past few days. Flashes of the horrors that I had witnessed continue to fly through my mind.

Prose had been blown to pieces, the tatters of her skirt still drifting through the air. Kringle, a stake in his heart, fell from the balcony as I watched in horror from the garden. Kendra's cold corpse stares up at me in the darkness. Hendrix's corpse slumped beside his murdered sister. Cisqua's final, traitorous moments... and finally Ruby, forever sleeping beneath that monstrous stage...

What had they felt as they died? Were they in pain... or was it all very quick in the end? What was it that ran through their heads as the life was taken from their still living bodies...?

I want to know, I don't want to know- in this moment of panic I don't know what I want. I can smell burning all around, from my fingertips, from the air- the confusion is of such a degree that I don't know anything anymore. Not even my own feelings.

The further I run, the thicker the smoke that fills the air. Though the trees around me are exempt- I can see, far in the distance- close to the Performance Hall, the fire is slowly raging towards us.

It's certain. The games will end before the sun sets. We are all in this forest, and we cannot escape it. We will _all _die in this forest. One of us already has, and if it weren't for the pain that surges up my arms and in the balls of my feet- I'd think it were me.

-and as I stumble and catch sight of the body before I land upon it, I wish it was.

"Oh... oh my god..."

It was Adelaide, with a silver stake wedged deeply into her chest.

She hadn't moved from her resting spot. Her blood has blossomed across her blouse and with her head bent downwards- I know that she didn't put up any resistance. Holden was no where in sight, and my knees beside her could feel her fleeting warmth as it slowly evaporated.  
I reach forward to touch her face, but I recoil as pain shoots up from my punctured fingertips. Adelaide had suffered for so long these games. She had been at a disadvantage being only twelve- but for the mine beside her to explode and thoroughly damage her lungs was more than bad luck.

-a rustle of leaves, and I stiffen. I breathe hard through the pain, gripping the cleaver as I raise my voice to its full capacity.

"-how could you? She's only twelve-!"

"...idiot, she was practically dead when I found her. I did her a favour."

It's not Crux who steps out from behind me and grins viciously down at me. Still heaving with pain and anger, I stare angrily up at Sin as he tilts his head and one eye seems to bulge in his amusement.

"Haa, Haa?" Sin cracks his neck, tilting it roughly from side to side. "You seem to be having trouble breathing, and there's dried vomit all over your baggy clothes... not very lady-like Maya girl."

"You killed a little girl," I hiss, fury burning inside my heart. "-a girl with _no _weapons."

"-why are you berating me about it?" Sin has been hanging around Crux too long. He's displaying such showmanship you'd think it was a game. "I made sure to hit her so she'd die quickly, isn't that good?"

"-what about Ellivieve, and Cobalt-?!" I stand to my feet, and even though we're less than a foot apart- I'm not afraid of the crossbow. "Kicking her face in, beating a dead corpse- that isn't good-!"

This strikes a nerve, and suddenly the smiling 'haa'ing Sin is gone. I'm met with a blank, deadpan stare and a voice so severe that my blood runs cold. Sin tilts his head again, and his fingers begin to pluck the crossbow's strings in a rhythm.

_Pluck._

"Not warning fatty of the approaching attacker?"

_Pluck._

"Not going to that squeaking girl's aid?"

_Pluck._

My eyes widen in horror from his words. Their deaths flashed through my mind as I watched Sin tilt his head from one side to the other with each blood curdling example.

"-and risking those three's lives with that mower stunt...? You may not have done it directly Maya... but you killed them. You certainly did..."

_Pluck_.

"...how..." there's no way he could know about these things, especially not Kringle and Cisqua... "I-I didn't kill them..."

_Pluck_.

"Yes you did," Sin's expression is so sombre that I can hardly recognise him from the brutish brunette from home. "You _left them to die _so you could get ahead... selfish, selfish Maya... just as you did with _Adelaide_."

_Pluck... Pluck_...

He's lying. Sin's lying- that's not true- I didn't do it to get ahead. I was just doing what... I had to... do...

_...Pluck... Pluck..._

The murderous grin is back, and I immediately notice how much sharper his canines are from Crux's. He steps back, and pulls the crossbow up to eye level. The cleaver rattles silently in my hand as the final stake points directly between my eyes.

"...and you're mad at me...? If anything..." His eyes shoot open wide. "I'm this game's saint!"

I swing the cleaver up to my face, and stumble back as its side hits me hard in the nose. The stake tumbles to the ground, and Sin leaps backwards in surprise. I dive sideways as he fires again, the stake wedging deep into a tree. The boy swears, and I see the next Stake has fallen out of his grip and to the ground.

I act fast. I dive for his legs, and Sin's full weight crashes to the ground. With an angered cry- he drops the crossbow and instead grapples for my cleaver with both hands. I tug it out of his reach, and as he shoves me down by my chest with one hand, I feel my left hand be pushed hard into my pocket... my pocket where I kept the stakes I stole from Crux...

He grabs my arm and yanks it upwards- and I feel my already weakened grasp be racked by a surge of pain as he snaps the elbow joint. My left hand desperately struggles to grab a hold of a stake as Sin grips the cleaver, looks down at me and bears his teeth in the peak of his rage just as I free my hand with the stake wrapped in its blackened clutches.

"-SEE YOU IN HELL MAYA!"

-as he swings down, I stab upwards. I scream, but no more pain is added to that of my arm. I weakly open my eyes as my cleaver hits my arm on its way to the ground, Sin's arm still shaking where he had held it, poised to swing.  
He stares down at me, eyes wide- mouth agape. A warm flood of blood trickles down my hand as the stake makes its home in his stomach. I look at him, not knowing whether what I feel is anger, fear or pity.

"...yeah... I'll see you soon."

And as he slumps, his body weighting on me as the stake digs deeper into his body- the alarm rings. Blood oozes up from his mouth and onto my face as I struggle to lift his gargantuan body from mine.

I manage to free my body from underneath him, but as I struggle to stand through the throbbing pain- I can feel my right arm hang uselessly to my side. I'd no longer be able to defend myself, I was right handed. I shakily pick up my cleaver from beside Sin, but it feels useless between my fingers.  
Only Holden and Crux remain, and I know how that will end. There's no way Holden could stand up to Crux's power. Not when Crux has a crossbow and Holden is grieving the death of his sister.

...this is it. There are only three of us left in this arena. Holden, Crux- and me. No one else remains. They're dead, they're all dead.

I stumble through the forest, away from the approaching fire. I'm trapped, broken and alone. I can't fight; I can't run and I can't survive. There's no way... no way out of here.

The smoke fills the air around me and I wish I could just fade away. I don't want to die, and yet I don't want to live like this anymore. These last few days, the only thing that kept me from utterly breaking down and screaming was the idea that maybe- maybe I could win, and leave this place forever.

-but it can't happen. I know it can't...

The Gamemakers have won. The President has won. They've perfected this game, and soon- year after year, more people will die as I will now, as everyone did. These 'Hunger Games' have swallowed all our lives whole.

"-you... it's... your... entire fault."

I stop. Holden's voice paralysed me in my tracks, and as his footsteps approach me from behind, his voice is dripping with poison.

"...she's dead... she told me to look for you... I go back... and she's dead... you left us with no weapon..." He shakily exhales, and I can feel the rigidness in his steps. "...you're why she's not alive..."

"-Holden, I'm sorry-" but as I turn, I'm horrified by the hatred staring back at me in those usually soft brown eyes. "...she... I'm sorry..."

"-I have nothing left," he hisses, he steps closer- and I can't bring myself to step backwards. "It's all your fault... I hate you, I hate YOU, I HATE YOU-!"

His hands grip around my throat, and I can feel the air wisp from my lungs as they tighten. With my head pulled upwards, I can just see the tears and anger flooding his eyes as he begins to shout those three words I had never wanted to hear him utter.

"..._I love you_," I choke, desperately smiling through the tears. "_I-I love you..._"

"-SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!" Holden yells, his nails cutting into my neck. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU!"

"_-love-_"

"-SHUT UP!" Holden shouts, eyes widening as he desperately fights to tighten his grip. "-You're no better than THEM, you're just a MONSTER-!"

My vision's going. I'm inhaling but all I taste is ash and inside my lungs shrivel inwards. His hands are crushing me, and his words are destroying my world. The tears drip down my face and disappear onto his hands as I struggle, with all my might, to reach up and touch his arms.

"..._I-I'm sorry_-" my voice is raspy, and almost unintelligible. "_I tried... I tried for you H-Holden..._"

My hands gently hold onto his lower arms, and I can feel the charred and jagged remains of my fingertips touch his skin. The air around us grows warmer and warmer as his grip begins to falter, and his cries grow louder.

"-just die, please just die..." Holden's crying. "I-I don't want to kill you- just die-"

_...for you Holden... I'd do anything..._

His hands fall from my throat, and I slump to the dirt as his body crashes backwards. Weakly, I curl upon myself, the skin of my throat aching and my entire self paining- and in a dazed moment, I look as Holden claws at his own throat. I watch slowly, curiously, as if this was all a dream. My eyes lock on his own, which are struggling to stay open as his mouth opens and shuts in pain.  
I reach forward my left hand, struggling to move forward, and as Holden's hands slowly lower themselves and his eyes roll back into his head- in my dreamlike state, I watch the fire around us reflected in the stake's silver surface.

"-Ma... ya..."

-and as he slowly fall backwards, I allow myself to fall to the dirt in synchronisation. No more tears form, and I can feel my body shutting down. The air that pours into my lungs tastes disgusting, and my mind is slowly but blankly realising what is happening.  
I pull myself up, ignoring the achingly tremendous pain that shoots from my fingertips. Slowly, I scrape forwards, ignoring the footsteps that slowly approach from behind.

His eyes are still open, but they're white. I examine his face and feel the slow sadness that grows from inside as all feeling disappears from my legs. Gently reaching out, I touch his face- but no warmness floods my dead fingers. I press my palm against his cheek, and my throat strings as I speak.

"Holden... Holden...?"

Then, music fills my ears. It's a chime... a bell's chime... it floods my mind as I try to cough and struggle to breathe.  
I don't understand what's happening. To Holden... to me... I can't feel anything. The blank sensation is slowly climbing past my abdomen- and I watch as Crux kneels down above Holden's head, and for the first time- I see genuine regret in his eyes.

"...he's dead Maya..." Crux whispers.

I shake my head, but I stop as I quickly become dizzy. Crux reaches forwards, picking me up from under my arms. His touch is warm, and strangely, I notice that the corners of his eyes are wet. Like a child, he lays me on my back beside Holden, and I look up at him silently as he touches my cheek.

"...I'm sorry for what I did... he'll be happier now..." Crux whispered. "...I wanted to talk to you before... before you got your happy ending..."

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a rasping breath. Crux seems to understand, and speaks once more.

"-I want to tell you something, and then I want you to do something for me... uh..." Crux's body gives a strange shake as he bites down on his tongue. "B-Blink if you will... please..."

I'm so tired... but... something inside wants to make amends with him. I blink. But he doesn't look any happier.

"...okay... Maya..." He swallows hard, and begins to rub my cheek with his thumb as he tries to speak. "...my father... I... I was always so upset because... I was the one who... who..."

He looks at me, and as I see the pain that swims behind them- I know instantly what he's saying. I blink, and I'm worried at how hard it is becoming to breathe in the noxious oxygen.

"...it wasn't me... I was just so angry that he abandoned Mom and..." he swallows, clenching his eyes tightly shut. "He ignored love and... that's why I was so angry at you... for ignoring mine..."

He removes his hand from my cheek, and the loss of warmth makes me wince. There's nothing distracting me from the slowly rising empty feeling that's enveloping my body.

"I can accept that you can't accept my feelings... but... please free me..."

Crux holds up the crossbow, the crossbow that took so many lives, so many of our lives- and places my hand upon its trigger. I struggle to shake my head, but Crux is starting to cry. His body shakes as he holds the crossbow to his eye.

"Please... I don't want to watch you die... I thought I did... but..."

He smiles, and suddenly I find myself wishing through the exhaustion that he was still an insane murderous killer. This would be so much easier. My heart can't handle any more pain. The remnants of anger towards Crux are now minimal, but I don't want to punish him... do I...?

My hand tenses as I struggle to move it. Crux is struggling to keep his eyes open until the end, but my hand reaches past the trigger. He watches grimly as my skeletal fingers lose grip of the crossbow. The weapon topples sideways onto my legs as I weakly pull at his collar for him to come closer. He looks surprised, and I can see a lone tear fall onto his legs.

Slowly, he does so and I smile. He leans closely, and- with all of the strength I can possibly call upon; I lift my had just an inch from the ground and touch my lips to his.

As I gently lay back on the dirt, Crux's body gives up the fight- and he begins to weep. The smile stays on my face as I close my eyes, and my throat aches one last time as I say;

"I'm sorry... I ignored..."

"Don't be- please-" Crux whispers, reaching forth and holding my face. "You loved Holden... I... I shouldn't have..."

"Ican't kill you... so... watching me die... is your punish...ment..."

"...Maya..." Crux's hands are growing increasingly colder. "...thank you..."

"...please... be safe..."

The tired smile starts to fade, and I can feel my body fall limp. The pain fades from my fingertips as the world seems to slow down around me, slowly being enveloped in white. Crux's body stiffens and I can hear his voice, shouting in the distance, as a beautiful chime rings in the air around me.

_This is my happy ending._


	20. Epilogue

**The Trial Games.**

"Haa, Haa- as Sin would say, these games are going to be a huge hit!"

"-it was a tad predictable though, with the crossbow boy winning. I was hoping that the Mayan girl would win. She was always having conversations with herself."

The Gamemakers table was buzzing with pride. Their Trial Games had gone off with aplomb. The private audience of authority members and people in high positions had all expressed a definite interest in sponsoring a yearly event as a way of punishing the Districts.  
The President sat at the head of the table, but he didn't look as pleased as the remainder did. He examined his fingertips, rubbing them together as something plagued his mind.

"-Mister President, is something bothering you?" One of the Gamemakers noticed his fixture. "Aren't you pleased with how the games went?"

For a while, the President said nothing. Finally, he lowered his hand to the table, propped his head upon the other and gazed at the head Gamemaker on his right.

"...we need to make a few... changes." He said curtly. "Firstly, I believe all weapons should be in the Cornucopia from the beginning, not hidden around the arena."

"-ah that's right! There'll be a bigger fight at the beginning that way!" the Head Gamemaker realised. "Is there something else?"

"I believe we should discourage rape, it would make the games seem... degrading. To that same extent, we should probably remove bodies once they're abandoned."

A few Gamemakers muttered amongst themselves at this. Though none of them would admit to enjoying watching the Maya and Crux portion of the tape once more- they certainly had been counting it as a crowd favourite.

"Yes... what else?"

"...keep the arenas 'outdoors' next time; it'd keep the bodies... more accessible for our hovercrafts." The President finished simply. "We don't want another girl hidden away under a stage."

The Gamemakers had already been to collect all twenty-three bodies and the victor, and it was true. Getting to some of the rooms was made difficult with the conditions they were in. It would be much easier using a ship.

"-so aside from that, everything's good to be released?" The Head Gamemaker smiled at his superior, looking for approval. "This is going to be an instant success, especially with the characters that these children turned out to be-"

"You will not be releasing this to the public."

The room fell silent as the President stood from his chair. The Head Gamemaker stammered as the man of Panem pulled on his coat and prepared to exit the room.

"-but sir, we've edited the tapes, produced the videos-!" The Gamemaker scrambled to his feet, stumbling after the President. "We've already printed up the guides, the bios-"

"Burn it all, no one is to ever know of what transpired in that arena." The President's gaze was cold and almost murderous. "We want the games to be a surprise, and that is what they shall be. This was merely a test, a run through."

"-b-but, w-what about the boy? Crux won, he's entitled to-"

"Kill him too, and his family." The man cut through the weaker's stutters. "See that the sponsors will not breathe a word of what they witnessed to anyone, ever."

The door clicked shut, and the Head Gamemaker frowned. As he pressed the numbers to execute the orders he had just been given, he reached deeply into his pocket for the video and guide he had been about to give to the President.

He'd burn them all... except these... he'd worked too hard for it all to just be a memory... a memory to be overshadowed by the many centuries of games to come. After all, this game would be the first- the _true_ original...

...he'd hide them, stash them away... where the President wouldn't destroy his hard work...

* * *

"_Please... be safe..._"

Plutarch clutched his head in his hands, unable to watch as the boy tried to scream over his love's alarm. The faded, dusty booklet guide laid open beside the new Head Gamemaker- which he had found bound with the tape hidden deep within the Hunger Game's records room, stashed beneath the old floorboards.

It was worse than watching any of the Hunger Games he had ever had to observe. This game, _this _monstrous creation was worse than any other game.  
The children had no idea what they had been in for. They had no warning, no reapening- and the winner had not even been allowed to bask in their survival. There had been notes, edited into the booklet that explained- quite clear that the writer wasn't pleased – that Crux had been killed by lethal injection later the next day for security purposes.

All the while screaming- '_-you killed her- you killed her!_'

No one else had ever watched this tape judging from its old, dusted form. The tape had been unlabelled, but the guide had intrigued Plutarch enough to sneak it back home and view it in its entirety. Because of this, he saw a side of the games he hadn't known.  
It was a lot less edited than the games were now. It showed the girl screaming for 'their death'. There was rape, slander of the Capitol- and disfigurement of the bodies. Plutarch knew he would hate the kids had this been a recent tape, but these children...

He couldn't let any more games happen. If they did, how many more would happen like this? In fact, how many had already been- but cleverly cut and edited to fool the audience?

"...I'm so sorry..."

**End.**


	21. the Tribute Booklet

**24th.** Prose. "_Is it over? Did they stop the game...?_"  
-thirteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 2  
killed by mine explosion. uncredited.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** it was unfortunate that she would be the one to fall prey to the mine test- but someone had to. She had little chance of surviving anyway. Best it ended the way it did.

**23rd.** Ellivieve. "_I-I can't breathe- I can't breathe!_"  
-fourteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 4  
killed by being kicked to death. credited to Sin.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** she was fair, but it was bad luck her starting plate was beside the one that exploded. It temporarily halted her from moving due to lack of air- and that was all the time he needed.

**22nd.** Cobalt. "_Get away from her!_"  
-fourteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 7  
killed by being bashed with baseball bat. credited to Sin.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** a cocky, headstrong young boy who was close with Ellivieve. It's of good opinion that he was in love with her, so even when she was dead he had faith he could save her. Foolish, but admirable.

**21st.** Wyde. "_He's following us-!_"  
-thirteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 4  
killed by being shot through the eye with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **it was later discovered that young Wyde requires glasses, which he dropped when he was ushered into the starting plate room. It's a little amusing that his eye would be the one targeted.

**20th.** Sparkle. "_C-Cisqua I c-can't go on-_"  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 3  
killed by being shot through the head with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** experts who examined last captured moments of her believe she could have indeed gone on- but was unwilling to. Such a slothful attitude towards the struggle will not be accepted in future games.

**19th.** Kringle. "_God... I'm so tired..."_  
-seventeen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 5  
killed by being shot through the throat with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** it was hoped that he would harbour a deep seated hatred towards his fellow students, but he really was like a big, harmless teddy bear. He made quite a splatter however, much to the crowd's delight.

**18th.** Kendra. "_I-I'll give you the keys- I'll give you the-!_"  
-fourteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 3  
killed by strangling by copper wire. credited to Valera.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** viewers admit that their favourite moments concerning Kendra were when her eyes lit up when she found the keys. She truly believed she had a chance in that moment. What a shame.

**17th.** Matra. "_P-Please don't hurt me! Please!_"  
-fourteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 2  
killed by strangling by copper wire. credited to Valera.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** sadly, Matra didn't comprehend the severity of the games until she was faced with senior Valera brandishing the copper wire. Too little, too late. Should have hidden better than merely sitting on the stairs.

**16th.** Ruby. "_Why does it have to be so dark in here-?_"  
-twelve years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 1  
killed by fatal blow to the head from falling sandbag. uncredited.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** a sacrifice that sadly, had to be made to hone the use of traps in future games. Through her death however, we Gamemakers can ensure that you can never be too careful.

**15th.** Lock. "_Where'd that bitch go-?"_  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 7  
killed by shot through the chest with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** viewers had high hopes that Lock would overthrow his group of tributes and really shine. However, in the end it was proven that he was exactly as he seemed. A foolish, murderous dreamer.

**14th.** Xander. "_You fucking bastard-!"_  
-sixteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 8  
killed by shot through the eye with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** though he definitely had the talent- he failed to use it, even in dire moments. Viewers still watch in suspense as he contemplated stabbing Sin as he slept. It's a pity. Perhaps the game would have ended differently if he had.

**13th.** Battler. "_I've got to get out of here-!!_"  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation score:** 7  
killed by shot through the back and neck with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments:** the boy was riding on the strength of his friends to get him through the games, and had little confidence in his own abilities. This flaw led him to jump at anything and everything. Amusing, but not a good attribute.

**12th.** Valera. _"...you can't kill me... not this easily..."_  
-eighteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 6  
killed by shot through the neck with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 2

**Final Comments: **she was the only real killer girl in the games aside from Cisqua and Maya. There was a brief period of time where we believed that she would win using the keys- but she grew lazy after two small successes. Shame.

**11th.** Tilly. _"-why'd this crash here though-?"_  
-thirteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 3  
killed by shot through the neck with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **Tilly was fortunate to partner up with her friend Lola rather than her friend Adelaide. Then again, she wasn't much of a fighter at all- and certainly wouldn't have won in any situation. A genuine no hoper.

**10th.** Lola. "-_he killed her! Tilly! Tilly! Hendrix he-!_"  
-thirteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 4  
killed by shot through the eye with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **it was a popular theory that Lola would turn out to be a "killer little girl", but in all reality she was riding on the back of her brother's strength. While a useful tactic, this slowed his chances of survival down greatly. The games are no place for family.

**9th.** Hendrix. _"-get away from my sister-!"_  
-eighteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 10  
killed by shot through the eye with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **the highest scoring of all estimates, and yet he killed no one- and didn't even put up a struggle. Most viewers found this to be a total waste, and complained that he didn't put up much of a fight. I suppose some brother's merely shut down once they see their sisters die.

**8th.** Boxen. "_P-Please... Cisqua... what are you-?_"  
-sixteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 6  
killed by being bashed with baseball bat. credited to Cisqua.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **viewers enjoyed Boxen's creative nature. Though most of his ideas were rejected by Cisqua, his moments of carving became somewhat of a trademark. Particularly once he began to cry and couldn't carve properly.

**7th.** Recklo. "_D-Don't- I-I don't wanna-_"  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 7  
killed by being bashed with baseball bat. credited to Cisqua.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **a complete fake, Recklo was hardly a fighter. He must have been a close friend with Sin for him to survive so long without being disposed of for his uselessness. He had the potential, but he certainly was all talk and no walk.

**6th.** Cisqua. "_b-but... they said you loved me..._"  
-sixteen years old.  
**Estimation Score: **4  
killed by shot through the chest with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 2

**Final Comments: **Cisqua was a crowd favourite. Though none of the tributes caught on, she had never planned on sticking to an alliance, only using them for her own gain. She was a good liar, but sadly- Crux's eyesight could see through more than just distance.

**5th.** Adelaide. "_-y-you're going to kill me-?_"  
-twelve years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 1  
killed by shot through the neck with crossbow. credited to Sin.  
**Kills:** 0

**Final Comments: **the weakest of all, and yet she made it as far as fifth place. Viewers admitted to disliking her for "being in Holden's way" and Mayans agreed that they had hoped for more romance, and Adelaide was a definite wall. Her death was welcomed, but too late.

**4th.** Sin. "SEE YOU IN HELL MAYA-!"  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 9  
killed by stake to the stomach. credited to Maya.  
**Kills:** 3

**Final Comments: **along with Crux, Sin had been the main favourite to win the games. However Sin's sanity began to dwindle after he lost his pack- and he became increasingly more stubborn and arrogant. The difference between the two, is apparently love.

**3rd.** Holden. "_I don't want to kill you... just die..."_  
-fifteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 7  
killed by shot through the neck with crossbow. credited to Crux.  
**Kills:** 1

**Final Comments:** Holden's actions through the first three quarters of the game were boring to viewers- and his only main charm was how dearly Maya seemed to love him. But when he pushed that love away in favour of his sister, that's when all hope for his redemption was lost.

It is by pure luck that he lasted so long. Or Maya's determination.

**2nd.** Maya. "..._please... be safe..._"  
-sixteen years old.  
**Estimation Score:** 5  
died of a collaborative effort, final being asphyxiation. Credited to Holden.

**Kills:** 1

**Final Comments:** truly a tragic heroine, Maya thrilled audiences from the moment with the more than apparent love triangle she commanded. She talked to herself, came up with ideas and was constantly running and evading things by _pure luck_.

Her fans were thrilled by her dying moments. She went down like Juliet might have done, had Romeo been the one asleep and Juliet dying. The Trial Game's very own tragedy.

**1st.** Crux. _"-Maya?! Maya please- DON'T LEAVE ME HERE -!"_  
-seventeen years old.  
**Estimation Score: **9  
winner. _**KILLED BY LETHAL INJECTION FOR SECURITY PURPOSES**_.  
**Kills:** 12

**Final Comments**: aside from the actual winner, Crux was the crowd top favourite, had the most sponsors, the most skill- and that wonderful tragic touch we all yearn to watch bloom and madly die.

Though his love was not recognised, the collective of viewers agreed that his love was more deserving than Maya's for Holden. May this Romeo find his happy ending he so sorely deserves in the next life with his Juliet.

**...  
GAME MAKERS WIN. GAME MAKERS WIN. GAME MAKERS WIN.**


End file.
